Unhappy In Its Own Way
by Auburn Red
Summary: AU Reworking of "Parent Meets Teacher." Corey Mattthews schedules a parent-teacher conference with Stuart Minkus and discovers some interesting truths about his former nemesis's family. Can he and his friends and family stop a bad situation before it gets worse?
1. Parent Meets Teacher

Unhappy In Its Own Way

A Boy/Girl Meets World fanfic

By Auburn Red

Well the Tribal Council has spoken. :D Thank you to all the rave reviews for "Parent Meets Teacher"! I have never had so many favorites and reviews happen so quickly. Thanks to you all, I am doing more with this story! The first chapter is a retooling of "Parent Meets Teacher" with more chapters added.

Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. They belong to Michael Jacobs and Disney.) While the first two chapters are set shortly after the events of "Girl Meets Flaws," chapter three on will move forward towards the current season.

Author's Note: Because of developments in the Girl Meets World canon, i.e. "Girl Meets Farkle," this story's status has been moved to an AU story. Think of it as what if Jennifer's personality hadn't changed much and was the same "darling" we knew in her high school years?

Summary: Formerly "Parent Meets Teacher." Cory Matthews holds a parent-teacher conference with Stuart Minkus about Farkle and learns some interesting things about his former nemesis' family. Can he and his friends and family help put a stop to a bad situation before it gets worse?

"All happy families are alike; Every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." ~ Leo Tolstoy, _Anna Karenina_

Chapter One: Parent Meets Teacher

Despite the beliefs of many people, students and otherwise, parent-teacher conferences were not unheard of for Stuart or Farkle Minkus. Of course the issues were never academic or disciplinary, but it wouldn't be the first time that a Minkus was called to speak to a teacher in private. Minkus sighed before he knocked on the door. It probably wouldn't be the last. He stood in front of the classroom door and knocked. "Come in," Cory Matthew's voice said. It was uncanny how he still sounded the way he did in high school. Minkus opened the door as Cory was bent over some papers, his curly head at first not raised until Minkus cleared his throat.

Minkus stifled a chuckle. He would have bet even money that Cory Matthews would be the last person to become a teacher and shape young minds, well maybe second to the last after Shawn Hunter. Now here he was, as far as he could tell or as far as Farkle told him, he was good at it.

"Hi Minkus how ya doing?" Cory asked shaking his hand. Stuart Minkus returned the greeting warily. Cory was never friendly to Minkus even when he visited during Career Day. But then again, they were adults now. They should have gotten past, the teasing, the verbal bullying, and the arguments that made their sixth grade year, particularly Minkus' so difficult. At least that's what Minkus told himself.

"Fine Cory, how are you?" he asked. "Is it about that grade? I told you before I really don't think that Farkle deserves that A-!"

Cory blinked slightly taken aback. He was used to parents coming to him saying that their kid didn't deserve an "F' or a "D," and couldn't he retest them or grade on a curve? (Of course the low grades as the high ones were certainly deserved but try telling some grade-proud hyperactive parent that!). But then again he had known for years that neither Stuart nor Farkle Minkus were normal students or parents. "Uh, no it's not about that," Cory said. He waved at a desk. "Have a seat." Minkus sat at one of the front desks shifting his tall legs uncomfortably. (_6"3 take that former jocks, _he taunted in his head to those who picked on him because of his size). "Did Farkle talk to you about what happened yesterday in class with the other kids?"

Minkus shook his head. "No, we don't talk about things like that." He said. "I help him with his homework though." The assignments were always fun and interesting for the Minki such as when Stuart showed his son the pictures taken by Farkle's Great-Grandpa Ginsburg who worked at Cafe Hey in his younger years. What an interesting historic journey that was and to find out that Farkle could have met his friends a lot earlier, that Stuart could have met them a lot earlier, well it may have saved him a lot of awkwardness in school. It also brought Grandpa Ginsburg to life, the only relative who really ever understood the "weirdness" that was Stuart Minkus (no doubt if he had lived to see his great-grandson, he would have felt the same way about Farkle). Anyway, those homework assignments were sources of bonding between a genius father and son.

Cory was confused. He and Topanga talked about everything with Riley from school assignments to social problems. He could sense on Career Day that both Stuart and Farkle seemed close. Was there something going on at home? Most parents would have learned about bullies from their kids, but then he knew some who didn't. Either the kid didn't tell them because he wanted to face his troubles himself or there was some reason at home to keep him from opening up about being bullied. "Well one of the students picked on Farkle telling him he was weird." The teacher could see his former nemesis give a sarcastic look like 'so what else is new.' "He called him nothing-"

Minkus rose from his seat and headed for the door. "What is that kid's name? I will find out and find out who his father is, get my lawyer, and sue the living shit out of him!" He probably would have done it too, but Corey held him back. He had never heard Minkus swear and certainly had never seen him that mad before, irritated yes, frustrated yes many times (in fact that made the teasing so much more fun) but that furious and filled with rage, never. Minkus seemed so different from the scientific logical genius that he knew for so long.

"Calm down, Minkus," Cory said. "It's alright. We fixed the issue in class." He quickly explained about how the kids wrote their flaws on their foreheads and Billy admitted that he was jealous of Farkle. Billy wiped the writing off of Farkle's forehead. Billy apologized and all was well in the world once more. Minkus still looked skeptical and his expression seemed frosty, but at least he didn't get mad.

Minkus sat back down. "So why are you telling me this now?" he asked. "It seemed that this Billy learned a lesson in humility." _Something you and Shawn could have learned a long time ago, among other people in my life, just saying_, Minkus thought sardonically.

"Well there were some things that concern me," Cory asked. "Especially about Farkle's behavior."

"He didn't fight him did he?" Minkus asked.

"No," Cory said.

"He didn't play pranks did he?" Minkus inquired.

"No," Cory said. "He's a great kid."

"You don't have to tell me that," Minkus reminded him fondly. "So what's the problem?"

"Well," Cory hesitated. "I'm concerned not just as Farkle's teacher, but the father of one of his closest friends. Has Farkle ever seen a therapist or been tested for any, um, issues like-?"

Minkus prompted. "You mean like Asperger's or Juvenile Autism, maybe even a mild form of schizophrenia?" Cory shrugged as if he didn't want to fill in the blanks but nodded like he couldn't deny the question either. Minkus laughed bitterly. "It's funny when we were in school, behavior characteristics like that simply meant you were a nerd. Get all 'A's and you were a teacher's pet. Dress differently and wear pocket protectors and you were just a weirdo. Now there's a name for it, a condition as if medicine and therapy could treat it. As if the stigma of being weird in school wasn't bad enough," Corey was about to say something, but Minkus continued. "The answer is no. Farkle has not been tested for any of those things."

"Don't you think that he should?" Cory asked.

"Why?" Minkus asked. "Because he knows more about sociopolitical consortia than most people his age? Because he can discuss quantum physics about as well as most kids discuss-"he prompted as if he couldn't think of a name.

"-Hunger Games or The Avengers," Cory answered. "Maybe anything with Channing Tatum."

"Alright, I will assume these are shows or movies," Minkus answered. For a moment Cory and Minkus laughed at the distant memory of the time when exiled from his normal friends because of a disastrous hair experiment, Cory ended up sitting with the "weird" kids and the kids told Cory about the shows that they watched.

Minkus returned to his original logical persona. "Anyway, no, I don't think that he should. If he had any emotional problems or was a harm to himself or others, then I would in a heartbeat. I'm aware of the symptoms." Minkus didn't want to admit it but sometimes he was hyper observant about such behaviors in his son. He didn't want him to get through school doing even a third of the things that he did to get by. So far he was lucky. "But I won't do it. Kids can be cruel enough, sometimes adults can be too. I won't put Farkle through that stigma dragging him from specialist to specialist to psychiatrists as if something is wrong with him because there isn't. I won't take him to the other part of the school because it's for gifted, but troubled students with emotional problems, only to be forgotten by his peers and his parents." Cory was about to say that he suggested no such thing towards Farkle and that John Quincy Adams didn't even have "another part of the school," but Minkus continued as if the history teacher was no longer in the room. "What kind of parent would do that? I can deal with Farkle's genius and eccentricities, because I understand him. No one else does. What kind of parent doesn't even make an effort to understand their own child?"

During Minkus' monologue he rose again and paced back and forth. Cory had suspected that Minkus had stopped talking about Farkle a long time ago. Come to think of it when he was in school with Minkus, he had never seen either of his parents show up for any of his events. He knew that if Cory had won as many awards as Minkus had, Alan and Amy Matthews would be in the front row cheering their son on (well after they recovered from initial shock that their son had passed any academic awards in the first place). "What kind of parent would think that their son is weird?" Cory supplied touching Minkus' shoulder.

Minkus sighed heavy. "The type of parents that are unprepared for their child's genius and are overwhelmed by his oddities. The type of parents that are furious when their third grade son points out flaws in his father's bookkeeping. The type of parents that avoid talking about their son to their friends when his recitals of Edgar Allen Poe and Shakespeare ceased to be precocious after he turned seven, became freaky instead. The type of parents that wonder why their kid doesn't take up a sport or go outside to play with their friends. The type of parent that wonders why their son isn't normal." Minkus stopped as if the confession wore him out. "I can't put Farkle through that."

"You're not that type of parent," Cory agreed. "You're better than that."

"He's well adjusted," Minkus said as if searching for validation. "He has friends, something I never had a lot of," _or any after a time_, he thought. "He always talks about Riley, Maya, and Lucas."

"They are tight," Cory said. It was clear that Minkus and Farkle were very close. Perhaps the fact that Farkle opened himself enough to trust Riley, Maya, and Lucas when Minkus did not have very many close friends, Cory could attribute that to Minkus' own successes as a parent rather than his own parents' flaws in not recognizing their son for what he was. Still one thing puzzled him. "I am confused, though. You and Farkle are close, I can see that. But after he was teased, Farkle didn't stay home. He continued to electronically listen to the lectures from Janitor Harley's closet. Wouldn't he have at least told you about it, maybe even faked sick rather than go back to school?"

Once again, Minkus' scientific grade-proud persona was up. "You have met my son haven't you? He's never missed school a day in his life." He said that with pride and Cory could recognize a touch of austerity as if he wanted that to be the only reason. Cory suspected that there was something else Minkus was not telling him about Farke's home life. Time to test the waters a bit. "Well if you like we can set up some strategies if this problem comes up again, you, me, Farkle, his mother-"

"-No," Minkus said so abruptly that Cory drew back. "I'll be glad to discuss it with you and Farkle, but not his mother. She wouldn't come anyway."

"Well wouldn't she if she knew that we could help her son?" Cory asked. While he knew Farkle's mother in high school, surely she would have matured hadn't she?

Minkus looked around. "You don't see her here, do you?" he asked sharply. "We both got the phone call. Only I showed up."

"Are there problems at home?" Cory asked.

"Is the Pythagorean Theorem the sum of the squares of half the base and the height the square of either of the other two sides of length? " Minkus asked. Cory looked confused so Minkus translated. "Yes, there are. Cory you married your childhood sweetheart and you are very happy together," he asked.

"Sure absolutely," Cory answered.

"I couldn't be happier for you, well maybe slightly jealous," Minkus said remembering his childhood crush on Topanga. "You are very fortunate. Not everyone is."

Minkus looked outside the classroom window in silence. Cory understood the allusion. He had to phrase it as delicately as he could. He didn't want to be accusing, but he wanted to make sure that he knew the facts before he spoke to someone in authority. "Is there abuse going on?" he asked.

"No," Minkus said. "Not physical anyway. I wouldn't tolerate that and she knows it too.

But Jennifer doesn't always have a lot of patience for her husband and son. Now she really _does_ have some psychological problems. She has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder." He said. "When she's medicated properly she's alright for the most part, but when she isn't or when she has been drinking she often says things, calls Farkle names like 'Freak", 'Weirdo,' and sometimes-"

"-'Nothing,'" Cory guessed now understanding why Minkus flew off the handle when he heard Billy's insults. "Minkus, verbal abuse is still abuse. I am supposed to call DFS if I hear about abuse." In the state of New York, Cory was considered a Mandatory Reporter someone who had to report signs of abuse.

"No," Minkus said desperately. "I can handle it! The last thing I need to hear from is Family Services! Besides you are only required to call in the events of physical or sexual abuse or charges of child neglect and none of that is going on!"

Cory nodded. Technically that was true and he was aware that verbal abuse could be very hard to report unless the verbal abuse is done in public (and nine times out of ten the verbally abusive parent is clever enough not to do that). It comes down to he said/she said and can be retracted by the victim later or taken to be blown out of proportion.

"She just loses her temper on occasion and says things that she doesn't mean that's all," Minkus added quickly.

Cory reminded him. "But Minkus, if it's getting to the point where Farkle doesn't want to go home, then something needs to be done."

"Like getting a divorce," Minkus sarcastically asked. "Jennifer would rather stay a rich woman with the last name of Minkus than consent to a divorce. She likes the galas, she likes the money, likes the designer wardrobe, likes to play the perfect hostess, but she doesn't like all that comes with it. She doesn't like the 'freaks' that are her husband and son. Even if I obtained a divorce, she is manipulative enough to fight it. It was her father's money that started my company. Her cousin is my lawyer, well you get the idea. I could lose everything."

Corey was stunned. "You would rather stay in a marriage that makes you, Farkle, and possibly her miserable than lose your money?"

Minkus shook his head. "If it were just a matter of the money, the helicopter, the brownstone, everything I would let her have it. Well except the company, I worked my tail off for it," he said. "It was my ideas and technologies that made Minkus International what it is. Her family's money just allowed it to go from a starter to a Fortune 500. But she would make sure that she obtained full custody of Farkle. She may be mentally ill at times, and a social drinker-"_ Alcoholic_, Corey wanted to supply "-But she is smart, clever, and manipulative enough to make sure that I never saw Farkle again. I won't leave my son alone with her. He's alone with her enough as it is."

Minkus remembered when he and Jennifer Bassett first dated and decided to get married. While they went to the same high school, they barely interacted with each other until college when her father recognized Minkus as the type of "brilliant young man that (he) could finance." She was perfect for him, blond, attractive, intelligent in her own way, and wealthy. She also had a lot of culture, class, and was very understanding at first. While Stuart Minkus didn't exactly subscribe to the feeling of love beyond it being a rising of natural pheromones and body temperature to somewhat uncomfortable status, he suspected that he was really in love with Jennifer. He felt that they were a perfect match, physically, intellectually, and emotionally. He should have seen that sometimes things can appear too perfect.

He began to recognize the cracks in their marriage even early on before Farkle was born, most of them he tried to dismiss or ignore, so determined was he to get his company moving and keep his marriage intact. Stuart might have dismissed receiving statement after statement from stores and credit card companies revealing that Jennifer had overspent yet again. He might have disregarded when after a few too many champagne flutes, Jennifer would tell all and sundry what she thought of her and Stuart's sex life or what she thought should have been going on in their sex life. Minkus may have even dismissed the times when she would demand this car or that bracelet, or whatever material object, her every conversation a litany of "gimme, gimme, gimme," as if her husband were nothing more than an ATM to get money from and not a man who worked hard to keep his burgeoning company afloat and support his wife's affluent lifestyle. He could even put up with her sometimes explosive temper which often put housekeepers and anyone else who was unfortunate enough to be caught in the crossfire at odds. He could live with all of that and not say a word.

But what echoed throughout their brain was shortly after Farkle was born and Minkus came home hearing the baby crying in his room. Minkus poked his head in and saw that Farkle clearly had been unattended. Where was his nanny and where was Jennifer? He heard the sound of a giggle coming from the master bedroom and a man's laugh in return. He opened the door to see Jennifer lying in bed with the night desk clerk at their apartment, some dark-haired handsome character. He had to hand it to her, at least it wasn't some cliché like the gardener or the pool boy. Jennifer and her paramour rose from the bed flushed and embarrassed about being caught, not about what they had done. "Stuart, what the hell are you doing here?" Jennifer asked in a rage as she slipped back on her teddy and bathrobe.

"I live here," Minkus said. "What's his excuse?" he asked acidly pointing at the clerk who hurriedly put on his slacks and shirt over his boxers. "Mrs. Perkepsian downstairs called me at work to tell me that she heard Farkle crying for over an hour. She thought that you weren't home or something happened." He looked from his wife to her lover. "Well you're here and nothing happened so- Where's Mrs. Brown? " He asked about the nanny. He was actually surprised with himself for taking things so calmly.

"She quit," Jennifer explained. "She didn't like my visitors." _Quit or more than likely was fired_, Minkus thought

"Maybe I should go," the clerk said.

"Maybe you'd better," Jennifer sharply retorted as if he were nothing more than the help sent to meet her trivial needs.

"Oh no, please finish," Minkus sarcastically said. "I would hate to interrupt such an important conversation between you two."

The clerk buttoned his shirt and asked. "See you again, Mrs. Minkus?"

"Yeah right," Jennifer said icily before the man left.

Minkus gave his wife a cold look, but his son's crying kept him from saying anything right away. He tended Farkle, changed him, put powder on his tiny body, and lay him down for his nap before he returned to his wife. "Do you mind telling me what that was about?" he asked. "If you want out, just say the word and I'll be glad to give it to you."

Jennifer laughed and clapped her hands. "You know for a genius, you're pretty stupid! You won't do it."

"Try me," Minkus dared.

"And I can't let you do that, Stuart. You see I would have to go through the trouble of having to find a job, can you imagine how awful that would be?"

"I'll make sure that you receive proper alimony and you are granted joint custody if you want," Minkus offered.

Jennifer Bassett-Minkus smiled. "Joint custody, now that's a good one. Now I would be glad to go through the boredom of a court hearing, splitting assets, blah blah blah if you want. All I would have to do is push myself in front of a door and say that you hit me or I could tell them that because his father is a workaholic who rarely spends time with his son." _Working extra hours to support your wants_, Minkus wanted to counter, but chose not to in case Jennifer lost her temper. "I could easily gain full custody of that brat! The only way you will see him will be through binoculars. If by some chance that you get custody, well I can find out where he is and a mother's love should open many doors especially to apartments or schools, shouldn't it?"

The scales fell from Minkus' eyes. All of the misbehaviors that he tolerated, the difficulties that he tucked away into a logical mind that ignored the details for the big picture of having a wealthy influential wife were gone. For the first time, he saw his wife for who she really was. Minkus knew that she had no real love or affection for Farkle and would only keep him from his father as a way of hurting him or as a bargaining chip to get her way. She was right about one thing, what kind of genius was he to not recognize this sooner?

"The way I see, Stewie is this," Jennifer said sweetly. "You get what you want, daddy's money. You get to start your little company, become as rich and famous as you want to be, prove to the world that you aren't just some nothing weirdo from Philly. You even get the perfect wife and doting mother. I get what I want, the house, the lifestyle, and get to have my fun on the side. Everybody wins and we all go home happy. But if you so much as call an attorney, I could make this hearing extremely unpleasant, so what do you say, darling?" She said "darling" with such venom. Minkus felt like he was in some science fiction or action film where the hero was listening to the villain reveal their master plan. But this was real, this was his life and it was Farkle's.

In a strange way, he felt sorry for Jennifer too. Maybe this was the only way she could ever really be satisfied with her life, to find pleasure in retail therapy, extramarital affairs, alcohol, and manipulating others to get what she wanted. She wasn't always in control of herself in her bouts of mania, maybe this was some way of gaining the control that she desperately needed.

After all, it wasn't like Minkus was the most attentive of husbands working all hours and he made no secret that he liked the financial gains behind their marriage. Jennifer was the archetypal bored housewife finding her outlets through her own pleasures and she was right. She married him fairly young and she didn't really have much of a drive to find any type of employment. She didn't have to after having been spoiled and coddled first by her parents then her husband. What would she possibly do?

And Farkle. He was the light in Minkus' eyes. Farkle made everything worth it. Stuart couldn't have Jennifer gain full custody with him obtaining nothing more than visitation rights if even that.

"Let's face it Stuart," Jennifer taunted. "You love me and you would be nothing without me."

"You're right," Minkus sighed. "Alright, it's a deal." He shook her hand as if laying out a business merger.

Jennifer smiled like a cat with a canary in her mouth. "Good, now I saw this wonderful Cartier set that I just have to have."

Before she finished the word out, Minkus opened his wallet and gave her money. He could hear Farkle crying through the bedroom again. "Aren't you going to take care of that?" he asked Jennifer as she changed into her clothing.

"Why?" she asked as she put the money in the purse. "I have some shopping to get to. You want that little nothing so much, he's your problem." She walked out the door as Minkus entered his son's bedroom sighing and picked up his infant son.

Minkus didn't tell Cory any of that. After all, how could he understand anything about an unhappy marriage and what it did to both parties? How could Cory Matthews understand how hard it was to make a failed union work and to keep up appearances so that one wouldn't lose the only reason that kept the parties in the marriage in the first place? He just told Cory how he dealt with the problems at home, the way he always did when he was a kid getting away from his bewildered parents, he hid. "I spend a lot of time at work. Work is where I am at my best where I don't have to fight the histrionics of an unstable wife and mother."

"So you would rather have Farkle deal with them himself," Cory asked. "He can't deal with them forever. One day she won't just settle with words. One day those words will become actions and she will physically hurt him. I'm giving you 24 hours, If you don't do something about it, I will."

Minkus sighed and winced. It was ironic, he stayed in his marriage for Farkle's sake and now the marriage was what was hurting his son. He felt tears come to his eyes but kept them hidden. "What do you suggest that I do then?" He felt trapped.

Cory held out a business card. "Here is the number for victims of abuse. It includes groups for parents as well as kids." Minkus took the card. "They can help you both deal with the problems at home and help Jennifer too."

"You keep these for all occasions?" Stuart asked incredulously.

"You'd be surprised how many students or parents need to contact someone like this," Cory said ruefully.

Minkus looked at the number. "Jennifer's pretty stubborn. She doesn't think that she has a problem."

Cory nodded. "Then we can deal with that as well. They help you with arranging interventions and contacting the proper authorities if she becomes physically violent. Also, you can call me and Topanga if you or Farkle want to talk. Of course Farkle can talk to Riley anytime he wants. Topanga can even help you obtain a divorce."

"She's not a divorce attorney," Minkus remarked.

"No but she knows some who are," Cory said. "They can help work with you so you can get full custody of Farkle."

Minkus looked closely at Cory confused. "Why are you doing this?"

Cory smiled. "Because Farkle is my student and my daughter's friend and I would like it if you and I could be friends too." Cory approached Minkus. "During that assignment about flaws, I realized something: people can change. Bullies like Harley Keiner and well…me as well as their victims. So it's my way of saying I'm sorry for the things that I did or said to you in school. I want to help you and Farkle, maybe help us both move on from who we were as kids."

Minkus thought for a minute. Cory really was trying. He was a different person from that taunting malcontent that Minkus knew in middle school. After all, he wasn't the same person either. Who was? He looked at the business card. He felt like his head and heart were battling for dominance. His head reminded him of all of the benefits to his marriage to Jennifer and the difficulties that would come with divorcing her. His heart was reminding him of Farkle and that it was a chance for him to feel safe.

"Alright, I will think about it, Cory, thank you." Farkle said.

"Well don't think too long," Cory warned as he led Minkus to the door. "I wouldn't sit on this if I were you."


	2. Father and Son

Unhappy In Its Own Way

Chapter Two: Father and Son

Summary: In which the Minki have a father-son conversation, attend a meeting and run into some familiar faces

Farkle held out his key and hesitated before he unlocked the door. It was almost like a game that he played before he entered the house. What mood would Mother be in today?

She could be in one of her rare good moods. But if she were on the phone talking to her girlfriends, she might be argumentative and surly. If she were in her room talking quietly on the phone, well he knew better than to interrupt that. (He only did that once and regretted it ever since). Of course if she were passed out on the couch, he would need to make sure that her cigarettes were put out and that her wine glasses were empty and possibly cover her up with the ornamental blanket.

He breathed deeply and opened the door knowing that there was only one way to know for sure how his mother was doing. He reminded himself that he didn't have to stay long. All he needed to do was drop off his things, look in on his mother, and head for Lucas' house. He liked going to Lucas' house even if his parents were a great deal like their son, outdoorsy mellow people and he didn't know why their food was always smothered in barbecue sauce. Still they were a lot of fun and when Farkle visited them it was like visiting Riley's parents: always nice to see a pair of smiling non-angry parents who were genuinely glad to see each other and glad to see their children (Okay, Farkle realized that one-half of his parents was genuinely glad to see him but that half wasn't home as often as the other). It was good to see his friends after all that happened. They could almost make him forget the nothing that he was, that his mother saw and now other people were beginning to see.

He opened the door surprised to see his father _was _home and even more surprised that he wasn't on the phone or on the computer. Often time when his father was home, he was often working on something if he wasn't helping Farkle with his homework or any scholastic pursuits.

He was seated at his desk watching the door open. Farkle greeted his father warmly and a bit surprised. "Hello Father." He couldn't be in trouble could he?

"Farkle J. Minkus-," Minkus began

Uh oh, middle name or initial rather. He had to be in trouble. "Good-bye Father," Farkle said attempting to leave.

"Farkle," Minkus warned. "Close the door and come back inside. We need to talk." Farkle warily entered the living room and sat down on the couch. "Where's Mother?"

"Your mother has come down with a bad case of sale at Bloomingdale's. It appears to be terminal." _To my bank account anyway,_ Minkus thought sourly.

Farkle nodded. He knew that when his mother was out shopping she was gone for awhile. At least she wasn't going to yell at him. But he still was worried about what he did.

He knew that one way to get his father to postpone his punishment, the fastest way to his heart: through education.

"Now Father, I need to meet Lucas and go over our history project. You know we have to get started early. You know me, always getting projects started as soon as they are assigned."

"It can wait," Minkus said. This information stunned Farkle. If his father said that a school project can "wait," his punishment was going to be a doozy. Stuart Minkus was not the physical punishment type but there was plenty that he could restrict his son from. Farkle quickly texted Lucas to tell him that he wouldn't be meeting him then he searched his mind for anything that he could have gotten in trouble for. What about-? "You should know that Mr. Matthews and I had a little chat today."

"A little chat?" Farkle gulped.

"Now is there something that you would like to enlighten me about what happened to you in class the other day?" Minkus continued.

"In class?" Farkle repeated again figuring since all strategies were out the best he could do is thwart his father's plans for grounding by boring him.

"Farkle it would be better if you told me the truth instead of just repeating me," Minkus sighed.

Alright it must have been about that, better to fess up. "Okay, Father, I got confused on the answer," Farkle stammered. "I mixed up Lower and Upper Egypt." He was shaking. "I'm sorry that I got that A-! I shouldn't ever be wrong, I know!"

Minkus held his son by the shoulder. "Farkle, Farkle calm down" He realized that his son was really terrified about his father's reaction over a less than perfect grade. He sat him down by the shoulders forcing him onto the sofa. "Farkle, it's alright." The boy calmed down. "If you make one grade less than you normally do, it doesn't bother me."

"Really?" Farkle said skeptically. "But she said-I thought that if my grades aren't perfect-"

Minkus sighed. What had Jennifer been telling their son when Minkus wasn't home? The boy looked downward not wanting meet his father's gaze.

"Farkle look at me," he tilted his son's head up. "I'm proud when you get A's because I know that you earned it but I don't want you to get upset if you make one mistake. It was one lesser grade right?" Farkle nodded and Minkus sighed with relief. "Oh that's good. Anyway, I care how you do overall. Believe me; I got a question wrong in 6th grade. I was so upset that I had to go to the school nurse." Farkle smiled and offered a small giggle at his father's embarrassment. Minkus laughed as well to see his son in a better mood and not so nervous. "It makes you human. Finally, you can prove to your classmates that you are human. I'm sure there were doubts."

"Mr. Matthews and Hunter still think that I'm your clone," Farkle said.

"Even after I showed them your Certificate of Live Birth….Your long form birth certificate….footage of your actual birth including the "colorful" names your mother called me," Minkus recalled. The father and son laughed."…Photos of your conception-"

"-I don't want to hear that," Farkle said in shock covering his ears.

Minkus offered a small grin, but returned to the original subject. "But that wasn't what Mr. Matthews and I talked about."

"What was it then?" Farkle asked.

"About something that happened between you and another boy and the name that he called you?" Minkus suggested.

Farkle realized. "Oh that."

"Yes that," Minkus prompted. "Now is there anything that you would like to add?"

"Well," Farkle hesitated. "It wasn't a big deal. Billy, the other kid, said something and well it was nothing- I mean it didn't bother me."

Minkus nodded. "Didn't bother you huh? Didn't bother you so much that you didn't attend class and didn't listen to the lectures from the janitor's closet?" Farkle didn't answer so his father continued. "Didn't bother you so much that you didn't tell me about it? Didn't bother you so much that Mr. Matthews didn't call me to come see him to discuss the issue?"

"Father you are using double negatives," Farkle said.

"Well I'm concerned," Minkus answered. "Mostly I'm concerned because you didn't tell me. I had to find out from Mr. Matthews. I thought we were closer than that."

"Well you were busy," Farkle said shrugging. "I didn't want to bother you."

"I am never too busy to talk to you and you know that," Minkus said. Farkle didn't respond instead looked downward, so Minkus continued. "I'm wondering if what upset you the most about what that boy said and why you didn't tell me was because it hit too close to home. Am I right?"

Farkle looked down at his shoes, the floor, anything but his father. He tried to hide his tears but the gasping breaths gave it away. Minkus rubbed his son's shoulder and whispered soothing words to him. "I know Mother doesn't always mean it, she says so.

She only says things like that if I deserve it, if I'm bad or if I'm stupid or clumsy. But now if she says I'm nothing at home and now they say it at school, then I thought maybe they were right. If they can all see it, then the logic is unmistakable. Maybe I really am nothing."

Stuart Minkus' heart sank as he held his son closely by the shoulders to steady him. This was the little boy that he loved to take stargazing and insect spotting. How could he ever think that he was nothing? "Farkle, that is not true," he said "You are not nothing and I can prove it."

The sobs got less frantic as Farkle calmed down but his voice sounded weary and defeated. "Father you know as well as I do that you can't prove a negative.""

Minkus pulled away from his son and buried his head in his hands. He blanched feeling ill at the number that Jennifer did to her own son's self worth. Cory was right; he shouldn't let this verbal abuse continue.

"Farkle, son, I am so sorry," he said hoarsely. "I am so sorry for letting things get this bad and for never stopping it." He took out a small business card. "I don't want to let your mother hurt you anymore. But, I have let it go on for so long, that I don't even know how to stop it."

"I thought you knew everything father," Farkle said in surprise.

"Believe me I don't know everything," Minkus said as he took out a business card.

"What's that?" Farkle asked about the card.

"It's a number that Mr. Matthews gave me for a support group for victims of abuse," Minkus answered. "I called them earlier before you came home. Now, they're having a meeting tonight. You don't have to go if you don't want to. I am not going to force you to do anything that you don't want to do but it may be helpful for us to know that….well…"

"We're not alone," Farkle finished for his father. "What time do we go?"

Stuart Minkus pulled into the parking lot of the address that the woman over the phone showed him. He and Farkle exited the vehicle warily. "Father," Farkle said in shock. "It's a church!" Father and son exchanged nervous glances feeling like strangers in a strange land.

Minkus nodded looking at the building with its unmistakable steeple and crosses. "Well we just won't discuss Darwinism or Evolution. If pressed we will discuss Intelligent Design, but only then." He motioned his son forward as the two entered.

A thin dark haired woman greeted them warmly at the reception desk. "Hello, are you here for the group sessions?" Minkus nodded as she pointed. "The Teen Group meets in Room 225 and the adults meet in Room 315."

Farkle and Minkus looked confused at each other. "Father," Farkle said suddenly feeling shy.

"It's alright," Stuart reassured his son. "You can just text me if you are feeling uncomfortable or want to go home." Farkle nodded in agreement as the two headed for their separate rooms.

Farkle no sooner entered the room when he felt a tap on his shoulder and heard a familiar voice say, "Farkle what are you doing here?"

Farkle turned around to see Maya gape at him in surprise. "What am I doing here? Maya, what are you doing here?"

Maya rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Even when my dad was living with us he wasn't always...good."

"I'm sorry, Maya," Farkle said.

"It's alright it's like I said in class 'I'm Broken and it's not so bad, now that I can own it," Maya replied. "It was awhile ago, but my Mom and I still come here once a month."

"So what's this like," Farkle asked.

"Well we talk about good stuff that happened to us during the week and discuss our feelings," Maya said sounding sheepish. "Sometimes we do activities. It's really lame but you know it's nice too to know that there are other people that are just as messed up as I am." She looked at Farkle up and down. "You still haven't told me what you're doing here. Is it about Billy again? Do I have to go kick the shit out of him?

"Maya," Farkle corrected. "We are in a church!"

"Like you should talk follower of St. Darwin," Maya teased. "Its not like a religious group. We're just** in** a church!"

"Oh that's okay then," Farkle reasoned. "No, its not Billy. It's…my Mom." He realized that he never told her or Riley all of the problems between him and his mother. "We don't…I mean she's not…..always good either."

Maya held up a hand. "Say no more. I'd hate to go to your place to beat her up!"

Farkle offered a thin smile at his tougher friend but didn't get a chance to answer when a tall African-American man in his twenties raised his voice. "Okay everyone's here. Have a seat gang and let's get started," he said.

Minkus trailed outside of the meeting room as several adults, mostly women milled about talking to each other. Through the room, he could see a couple of men. At least he wasn't the only one. Still he felt self conscious about this. Did he really belong here? Was he ready to confess to a room full of strangers, something he never told anyone until Cory? It was one thing to tell Cory because he was an authority figure and Farkle's teacher. But he wasn't sure if he was ready to talk to strangers about this. What if someone told the tabloids? Wouldn't that make a good headline, "Multi-millionaire CEO Accuses Wife of Abuse?" Of course knowing Jennifer she would spin it around to make him the abuser. Better for now to keep his full name private.

"Are you lost?" a soft voice asked. Stuart turned to see a blond woman in a blue waitress uniform talk to him.

"I'm not sure that I belong here," Minkus replied.

"Adult Victims of Abuse?" she asked. Minkus nodded. "Then you're in the right place. I'm Katy." She held out her hand.

"I'm Stuart Mi-uh just Stuart," Minkus answered as he shook her hand.

"Minkus I know," Katy guessed.

"Uh no just Stuart," Minkus replied. "Please I don't want people to know."

Katy shook her head. "No, you're Farkle Minkus' daddy. He looks just like you. My little girl, Maya is a friend of his."

Minkus nodded and smiled. "Oh you're Maya's mother. I've heard quite a bit about your daughter." A thought occurred to him. "She and Riley Matthews really don't chase after my son, do they?"

Katy shook her head confused. "No, sometimes Maya teases him but-he is a good friend to her and she is to him."

Minkus nodded. "Ah, that makes sense." He said. Privately he thought that his son wanted to make him think that he was more popular than he was. Perhaps he thought that his father would think less of him if he wasn't._ I wonder who planted that seed in him_, Minkus thought bitterly, _Jennifer has a hell of a lot to answer for. Of course so do I._ He followed Katy into the room and sat next to her as the meeting began.

"I got a coolness award and that was…. pretty cool," Maya said ruefully "And they displayed some of my artwork." The rest of the group applauded.

"She's really good," Farkle offered. Maya smiled at the complement. It made Farkle want to complement her again.

"Well that's it for our weekly achievements," the counselor said. "Now are there any new members?" Farkle slightly raised his hand. "Okay you're up."

Farkle stood in front of the people. The only face he recognized was Maya's . He felt a very novel-for-him feeling: shyness about public speaking. His mouth felt dry as he began. "Well my teacher calls this Farkle Time, uh, that's my name Farkle. I know its kind of weird, but there's a long story to my name. It's because of my Great-Grandpa Ginsburg well you don't want to know about that." He took a deep breath and plunged ahead. "Well I'm here because at school I'm pretty confident. I even won a confidence award and I'm very smart. I have some good friends, Maya for one." He nodded at Maya who nodded back. "I'm very close to my father, but when I go home, I don't always feel smart, or confident, or sure of myself." He gasped. He wasn't sure that he was ready to talk about this. People were going to know what he had been hiding. He breathed in and out a couple of times and felt the room spin. "I sometimes wonder if I just wear a mask all day, that I'm just pretending. Sometimes I think my mother is the only one to see me for how I really am-stupid, ugly-"His breathing became shorter and more desperate. He started to feel sick. "Would people want to see that-if she doesn't love the real me who does?" He suddenly felt nausea swell up in his throat. "Excuse me," he said as he fled the room and texted his father.

Stuart Minkus stood at the front of a group of strangers. He felt nervous. "Hello, I'm Stuart-well some of you probably have heard of me. Well, here goes. I've been married for almost 15 years—"He looked from face to face and felt numb. "Been married for almost 15 years-"Dizziness enveloped him. He can't talk about this! "I'm sorry, I can't do this." He felt his cell phone vibrate and read the text message. He fled the room with Katy close behind.

Stuart saw Maya leaning against a wall. "Where is he?"

"In there," she pointed inside the men's bathroom. Minkus ran inside to see his son slumped over a toilet vomiting. Minkus knelt down and patted Farkle on the back. "It's okay take a deep breath." He searched his head for a way to calm the boy down. "What's 9 squared ?"

"81 " Farkle said as he vomited into the bowl.

"And 81 squared?" Minkus asked.

"6561," Farkle said trying to catch his breath.

"And 6561," Minkus asked. When Farkle didn't answer, Minkus prompted. "Come on you know this, 6561 squared?"

43046721." Farkle said finally slowing his breath.

Maya and Katy waited outside the men's room as Stuart and Farkle exited. "How are you doing?" Katy asked politely.

"He's fine," Minkus said. "I had him recite multiplication tables squared. It calms him down."

Maya turned to her mother. "And you just sang me, 'Row, Row Row, Your Boat." She teased.

Minkus held up his hands. "Look this was a big mistake. I think we'd better go home." He led his son to the door as Katy held him back. "You can't do this by yourself. If you can't talk to us, then you need to talk to somebody."

Minkus gently removed Katy's hand from his shoulder. "You and Cory Matthews think alike. None of you can help me. I'm the one who got into this and I'm the one who has to pay for it."

Katy looked at the man squarely. "Does that mean Farkle has to?"

Minkus turned to his son. "I'm the only one keeping him from having to." He led the boy out the door and to the car.

The Minki rode inside the car in silence for most of the trip. "Are you alright?" Minkus asked.

"Yes," Farkle answered.

"Do you have a fever?" the father asked.

"No," Farkle replied awkwardly as his father pulled into the parking lot.

Farkle and Minkus stepped inside the apartment. Jennifer Bassett-Minkus sat on the couch, dressed in a matching sky blue blouse and skirt. Her hair was tied back in a chignon. Shopping bags were strewn about her and she drank from a wine glass. A bottle was on the table next to her half-empty, another one had been completely emptied. One look at his wife already told Minkus that she had plenty to drink before she entered the house.

She didn't even wait for her husband and son to enter before she started. "Who the hell is Katy?" she demanded.

"Hi, honey happy to see you too," Minkus sarcastically answered.

Jennifer stood to face her husband and stared him down, two long-time adversaries engaged in an overtly long battle and were used to each other's weaknesses and defenses. "I asked you a question, who the hell is Katy?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Minkus said turning to his son. "Farkle, go to your room and lock the door." He could already tell that this was going to get ugly. Instead Farkle stood frozen watching his parents.

"Katy called," Jennifer's voice spat with sarcastic venom. "She said that-"She raised her voice in a sickening sweet impression."-She hoped 'that Farkle is okay and that she and Maya were worried about you after you left the meeting'. So what's the usual going rate for this one?" Stuart ignored her taunting as she continued. "Do you pay separately for Maya or is this a 2-for-1 sale?"

Minkus whirled around to face his wife. "You are sick! Do you really think that I would take my son if I were soliciting prostitutes?"

"Oh so if you were alone you would," Jennifer challenged.

Minkus rolled his eyes. "In the first place, Katy is not a prostitute she's a waitress-"

"-Well that must be an exciting conversation between you two," Jennifer added then held up her hand mimicking that she was carrying a tray. "Our specials of the day are ham on rye, Caesar's salad, and me on the side-"

"-And in the second place," Minkus continued uninterrupted. "Maya is Farkle's age in fact she's his friend! You'd know that if you listened once in awhile. He's only talked about her for years! She's also Katy's daughter!"

"I didn't say it was legal now did I," Jennifer taunted.

"I am sick of you accusing me of things that I don't do," Minkus said.

"Don't tell me that you don't think about it!" Jennifer accused her husband.

"Alright maybe I do, but I don't act on it," Minkus defended himself.

"Isn't that just your style look but don't touch," his wife mocked. "Think but never do! Says a lot for the bedroom doesn't it?"

"You should talk," Minkus accused.

Jennifer blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't believe for one second that you went to the Hamptons with your girlfriends!" Minkus shouted.

Jennifer's face turned from accusing to denial. "I don't know what you are talking about and how did you find out anyway?" She glared at her son and charged towards him. "You little shit, what did you tell him?!" She raised her hand and the air stung with her slap on her son's cheek. "Can't you just mind your own business?"

"I didn't tell him anything I swear," Farkle said.

"So where were you tonight," Jennifer said. "Where were you? Answer me!"

She shook her son hard. "We were at a meeting-"

"-What kind of meeting," Jennifer asked with clenched teeth.

Farkle's voice became smaller and more frightened. "-For um abuse victims."

Jennifer was stunned for a minute, but then she laughed bitterly. "Abuse victims. Yes, I'm sure you are telling everyone about what an evil witch your mother is aren't you and how I beat you daily don't you? I don't abuse you and you know it! I just tell it like it is with you and your spineless worm of a father! But why should I be surprised, you are two of a kind always ganging up on me! You're probably covering for him and now you spy on me and tell him everything don't you!" She shook her son harder. She was so close that Farkle could see her tanned face in front of him, her blue eye shadow and her rouged cheeks. Her blond hair was becoming loose from its style."Don't you?!"

Minkus grabbed his wife's wrist. "Dammit, Jennifer, leave him alone! He didn't have to tell me anything. I know with you, the best defense is a good offense!" He turned to his son. "Farkle, I told you to go to your room!"

Farkle ran inside his bedroom and locked the door. Through the doorway he could hear his mother yell at the top of her lungs. "Maybe if I got a little more excitement and wasn't stuck with you and that little nothing all day I wouldn't have to go somewhere else!"

"What did you tell him about his grades and his friends?" Minkus countered. "Did you insinuate that I wouldn't love him if he didn't get straight A's or wasn't popular?"

"Well it's true isn't it?" Jennifer shot back. "You are always on and on about his A average and how many he gets! Mr. Perfect couldn't stand having a Less than Perfect son could you?"

There was some scuffling in the living room and Farkle could hear some glass shattering. He could also hear a loud clunk of something thrown against the wall. Farkle guessed it was his mother's engagement ring since she always threw it at him. "Jennifer, where are you going!" Farkle's father asked. Farkle guessed that his mother had grabbed her car keys. "You are not going anywhere!"

"Yes I am," his mother said. "I'm getting out of here and getting away from you and that stupid kid!"

There were sounds of a struggle as his parents seemed to be talking at once. "I am not letting you drive!" Farkle heard his father holler

"What are you going to do to stop me," his mother challenged. "Are you going to hit me?"

His parent's voices got quieter so Farkle missed words and couldn't tell what they were saying. He didn't want to hear anymore. He looked at his watch, it was too late to go to Riley's, so he flipped on the radio. He didn't know what was playing and he didn't care. He just turned it up and flopped on the bed.

Minkus practically dragged his wife into their bedroom. Her speech was becoming more slurred and less volatile. Instead it receded to a quiet bitterness. "You son of a bitch," she accused. "Why did I ever marry you?"

"Because I'm the only one who can put up with you," Minkus reminded her. "Now go to bed and sleep it off." When his wife was this vulnerable and Minkus could see the hurt woman inside, he felt compassion for her. She needed to be taken care of and Stuart Minkus was the only one who could do that.

Jennifer held her throbbing forehead. "He loves you better than me!" She said feeling tears come to her eyes and her voice throbbed. "He was always partial to you."

"Farkle loves you too," Minkus assured his wife as he undid her blouse and skirt. He undid her hair style and let her hair hang loose to her shoulders."You don't always have to be so competitive. He can love us both the same." _And people think I'm competitive,_ Minkus thought, _Jennifer would give anyone a run for their money._

Minkus reached for his wife's nightgown and bathrobe and dressed her. "I created a scene in front of him. He shouldn't have made me so mad. You shouldn't have made me so mad!"

"I know you're under a lot of stress," Minkus assured her feeling like he was placating a small spoiled child by giving her exactly what she wanted. "I'm sorry."

"He'll remember this and hate me for it," Jennifer said.

"He'll forget all about it in the morning," Minkus reassured his wife. _I probably won't_, he thought.

"You won't see that Wendy Waitress anymore?" Jennifer asked.

Minkus sighed. "There isn't anything to worry about with her."

"Well promise that you won't," Jennifer declared.

"Alright I won't see her ever again," Minkus vowed as he lay his wife down. "Now get to sleep."

"Stuart, I want to stop drinking," she said. "I don't always like myself when I drink like that and I want to start taking my medication again."

"That's a good idea," Minkus encouraged her. "We can start over."

"I'll even see a marriage counselor if you are good to me," Jennifer said. "Will you be good to me?"

"Of course I will," Minkus tenderly wrapped his wife under the covers and kissed her lips.

"Stuart, say it please," Jennifer begged.

Stuart sighed. He knew what she wanted to hear. "I love you and I would be nothing without you." He hated himself for giving into her, but also hated himself for not stopping her.

"I love you too," Jennifer said as her husband turned off the lights.

Farkle's eyes drooped and he was about to fall asleep when he heard a knock. "Farkle's its just me," he heard his father's voice. Farkle opened the door and invited his father into his bedroom. Minkus gingerly sat on the bed.

"Is Mother okay?" Farkle asked.

Minkus nodded. "She's in the bedroom sleeping it off. You know how she is."

Farkle Minkus nodded. "I used to wonder all the time whether you were going to get divorced, but now well are you?"

Minkus thought. This was the second time today that someone had alluded to that step."Well that's quite a giant step for now. There are various reasons that would interfere with it."

"Like what?" Farkle asked.

"Just practical and personal reasons between your mother and I," Minkus answered. "It's nothing to concern yourself with."

Farkle Minkus looked at his father squarely. "Father, when I was five years old and I asked if you were Santa Claus, you told me that you were. You have never talked down to me or treated me like I was a little kid. Please don't start now."

Minkus sighed. "You're right. I never have," he said. "You are aware that your Grandpa Bassett and your uncles are stockholders? Together they own 47% of Minkus International."

"That leaves 63%," Farkle reminded him.

"Yes but about 2\3 of our clients are personal friends and contacts of theirs," Minkus added. "If your mother and I split up more than likely her family would pull their money and clients from the company. 63% of a company that would be floundering would matter very little. There are also other reasons, things that your mother did ..that I allowed her to do that she could bring out in the open."

"You mean the affairs?" Farkle asked. Minkus looked in surprise at his son's nonchalant attitude. "When she went to the Hamptons, I saw her put a whole row of condoms in her purse. I may have got 'The Talk' only a couple of years ago, but I know what condoms are for and they aren't for her girlfriends." He thought that sarcastic comment was almost worthy of Maya! "I wasn't going to tell you, I swear! She told me not to."

"I know, son, I know," Minkus replied.

Farkle shrugged. "They also call sometimes."

"Yes that's some of it," Minkus answered. "She could also lie and say things about me that wouldn't be true, but people would believe that I hurt her. They could use that as means to give her sole custody of you. There are also personal feelings that I have for your mother. As much as I dislike her behavior, part of me feels responsible for it. Sometimes, I think that if I had paid attention to her more, or worked harder for her,

or listened to her more, or spent more time with you or at home, she wouldn't be like this. I'm saying that it's not all her fault that she's like this." He said. "A lot of it is mine too, most of it is mine."

"Father," Farkle said hoarsely. "I don't want you to feel like you're nothing either."

Minkus smiled warmly at his son and squeezed his shoulder in an act of embrace. He shyly leaned forward and kissed his son on the forehead. He hadn't done that since Farkle was a baby. "For now, your mother wants to take her medication and I think we'll try marriage counseling again. Let's just see where that goes. But you don't need to worry about that tonight anymore. You'd better get to sleep."


	3. The (Not So) Perfect Family

Unhappy In Its Own Way

Chapter Three: The (Not So) Perfect Family

Author's note: Eddie Giatti, Jessie Goloff, and the other staff members of Minkus International, and the case workers, Taylor and Armitage are created by yours truly.

Farkle warily crept downstairs, the mark under his eye still hurt from the fight last night.

It had been a few months since his mother had promised to take her medication again. Farkle hoped that it was a time of peace for his family that they would be happier and they were for a time. His mother's moods were stabilizing and while she didn't quit drinking completely, she stopped at home and only drank at social occasions. His mom and dad's marriage seemed to be going great for a while. They attended marriage counseling faithfully and Farkle and his dad went to the abuse group (in secret. They still didn't want Jennifer to know about it and they weren't by any means regular attendees). Over the summer, his parents even went for a romantic getaway to the Virgin Islands. Farkle and his father even took the opportunity of a peaceful summer to create a digital library of Great-Grandpa Ginsburg's photographs. Farkle began 8th grade with the hope and optimism that his parent's marriage problems were finally a thing of the past but then reality began to set in.

There were little cracks beginning to form in their new perfect union. For one thing after a time, they stopped going to the marriage counselor. ("You could hear the quacking from the waiting room," his father said. "A complete waste of time," his mother agreed.)

Farkle began to notice that his mother was taking her medicine less and less, always finding excuses not to take a dosage or pretending like she already had earlier that day. He also began to notice that her movements were unsteady and her speech was getting slurred. At first Farkle thought it was his imagination, but he began to smell once again the Chateau Marmot on her breath. His mother also began to make sarcastic comments again about her husband and son but would quickly take it back saying that they clearly misunderstood. Then the fighting started once more, the accusations, the yelling, and the throwing the ring. Farkle no longer saw his parents' peaceful period as the start of a better relationship. Instead he saw it only as a temporary reprieve. He knew that his mother was like a hungry tiger pent up in a cage. She was sedate and quiet but when released, she was ready to strike. She was angrier than ever, as if those months of pent up frustration had bubbled up inside her until she was ready to explode.

Farkle tried his best to ignore it and for the most part he did taking part in the adventures that he and his friends had over the school year; the passing of Mrs. Sivorski, the gossip of Riley and Lucas' relationship, his and Maya's pretend wedding (of course he gave back the ring when his mother wanted it again much to Maya's dismay), creating their time capsule, Zay's arrival, the closeness between Maya's mother and Riley's Uncle Shawn, the arrival of the new English teacher, Harper Burgess, the preliminary elections for Riley's Uncle Eric for the Senate, and so many more. Lately though it had been hard to ignore his parent's problems especially after last night.

The fight began because his mother was talking about trying to get a spread in _Avenues _magazine of her home and family. "All of society will read it. Won't it be wonderful?" she asked.

"Terrific," Minkus said clearly humoring her. Farkle didn't say anything. He knew at times separate opinions were a luxury that Farkle was not allowed in front of his mother.

Jennifer looked around the dining room. "I really think that we need new furniture. Hollywood Regency is so last year."

"You only redecorated three months ago," Minkus reminded his wife.

"But it's already starting to look shabby," she said pouting. "Of course what do you expect with a teenager in the house?"

"Yes because of all the wild parties that Farkle throws with his beer drinking friends," Minkus quipped sarcastically. "Have you ever seen any of Farkle's friends in our apartment ever?"

Jennifer glowered at her husband's sarcasm. "Why do you have to be so insolent about what's important to me?"

"I'm not," Minkus objected. "I just think it's a lot of trouble and expense for a magazine article."

"Well it's important to me," Jennifer said. "Who does what I say?"

"Everybody," Minkus answered with trepidation and fear.

"Will we have to be in the pictures?" Farkle asked.

"Well of course," Jennifer remarked. "The spreads not only show the home but the family as well. I want to show us as a perfect loving happy family. Farkle, you will be expected to wear a suit and tie."

"Why can't I dress how I normally dress," Farkle said. He covered his mouth before he could stop it.

"Because I am not going to have you wear those ridiculously loud stupid turtlenecks in my article," Jennifer insisted.

Farkle looked hurt but lowered his head. Minkus kindly held his son by the shoulder. "It's alright, son. You can wear whatever you want."

"Why are you undermining me?" Jennifer demanded. "Why do you always do that?"

"Because he likes what he wears," Minkus said.

"Well I want him to dress normally," Jennifer said.

"Normal is overrated," Minkus said quoting a familiar slogan that he heard many times as a boy.

Jennifer laughed sarcastically. "Yes of course wit and wisdom from the Dime Store Diner Guru!"

"My grandfather owned a café," Minkus corrected defending his late Grandpa Ginsburg. "And he was a brilliant man!"

"Yes really brilliant," Jennifer said sarcastically. "His café closed down after five years and he died without a nickel to his name! How's that for brilliance. He was a failure!"

"He just meant that he was brilliant in other ways, Mother," Farkle replied. "He was really smart with word games and number puzzles."

Jennifer grabbed her son by the arm so hard that it hurt. "Did I ask you to interrupt and why are you always on his side?" She knocked her son out of his seat and threw him against the wall. Farkle moved on his backside away from his mother as she charged at him.

"Jennifer stop it," Minkus called but Jennifer didn't listen to her husband as she charged towards her son.

Normally, his mother stopped with one slap and usually just yelled. This time she kept hitting him again and again perhaps out of the pent up frustration from the months of trying to behave herself and hold it all in. Farkle screamed and cried begging for his mother to stop, but she kept hitting him and saying that they were always against her. She then shoved her son so hard that he fell into a nearby bookshelf. Jennifer approached her son, but Minkus grabbed her and picked her up and pushed her off Farkle.

The force of grabbing her shoved her towards the ground and she fell face first.

She began to kick and scream like a child with a tantrum. "You son of a bitch," she yelled at her husband as she threw her ring at his face. Jennifer ran towards Minkus clawing at him and calling him son of a bitch and weakling. She raised her hands into fists and started punching at his chest. Minkus managed to grab her hands, pull her into an almost bear hug, and forcibly pick her up. She continued to argue and struggle to get away but Stuart held onto his wife and practically pushed her into the bedroom locking the door behind her.

The next morning, Farkle sighed trying to cover last night's bruise with his hand as he approached his mother. She was seated at the kitchen table calmly smoking a cigarette. Her hair was askew and her makeup ran on her face. There was a red puffiness on her right cheek that emerged from her fall to the ground. She was dressed in her silk blue nightgown and robe as well as a diamond and sapphire necklace that Farkle had never seen before. She was reading a fashion magazine and drinking coffee.

It was clear that she was hung over. "Good morning, Mother," Farkle said warily.

"Good morning Honey," Jennifer said. "Your father had an early meeting, of course where else would he be? Would you like breakfast?"

Farkle shook his head. It had been awhile since his mother had cooked a big breakfast. "No thanks I'll get it," he said looking in the kitchen for cold cereal and milk.

She held up her necklace. "Look what your father got me," she said sweetly. "It's a peace offering for last night." The way she smiled seemed to say_ I own him and I own you and there's nothing either of you can do about it._

"It's very nice Mother," Farkle offered.

"Also look at the sofa and love seat he's ordering for me," Jennifer said pointing at some pictures that she printed from the Internet. "Really Minimalist Gregorian is so much nicer than Hollywood Regency don't you think?"

Farkle didn't understand but he shrugged. "I suppose so, Mother."

Jennifer wasn't paying attention. Instead she looked at her ring. "I should see about him getting me a new ring. This one's looking tarnished and cheap. It's also bent at the corners."

_Maybe if you didn't keep using it as a hand grenade, _Farkle wanted to say. Instead he said out loud, "Mother, that ring cost $78,000. What do you want, the Hope Diamond?"

"Are you talking back to me?" Jennifer warned.

"No, no," Farkle stammered.

"After all what happened to you last night was an accident a result of your own clumsiness wasn't it?" his mother reminded him.

"Yes Mother of course," Farkle agreed understanding the implied threat that he could easily have another "accident" again.

"Anyway inflation has set in," Jennifer said. "This ring is cheap now. A wedding ring is a symbol of love between your father and I. Surely, I'm worth more than $78,000 to him."

"Of course you are Mother," Farkle agreed. "I have to go."

"What?" Jennifer said. "Oh of course. Farkle honey, you do love me don't you?"

Farkle nodded. "Yes of course I do."

"And we are the perfect family aren't we?" his mother asked.

Farkle nodded. "Yes Mother we are," he said as he left the apartment.

Farkle ran into his friends as the entered the classroom. "Farkle what happened to your face?" Riley Matthews asked concerned.

"Oh nothing," Farkle said. "I tripped over the stairs in our apartment building. You know me, have my head in the clouds as usual."

"So what else is new?" Maya quipped. The others laughed.

Cory watched his students and daughter enter the classroom. "Farkle, are you alright what happened to you?" he asked.

"Oh we are remodeling my bedroom and one of the bookshelves knocked me on the eye," he answered his teacher.

Out of the corner of his eye, Cory could see Riley and Lucas exchange a confused glance. Maya looked downward. It was hard to tell what she was thinking. "That ain't what you told us," Lucas remarked. "You said you fell on the stairs."

"Well I did that too," Farkle said hopping a little too quickly on that story.

"But wouldn't you have more than one bruise?" Lucas asked.

"Yes look I didn't hit the stairs that hard alright?" Farkle shot back. He sat down in his usual spot not wanting to continue the conversation.

Cory thought looking at his best student. It had been a few months towards the end of seventh grade since he had that conversation with Stuart Minkus about Farkle. He had checked up on Farkle the next day and asked Minkus how his son was doing. Minkus said that Farkle was fine and they were going to the group and things were alright. But he behaved pretty abrupt as if he wanted Cory to mind his own business. Cory didn't think that Farkle's parents had separated, he would have heard that, but he wondered what was going on. Had Farkle's mother become physically as well as verbally abusive? If the abuse was becoming physical, he knew what he was supposed to do.

Maybe this lesson might help. Cory didn't plan the lesson to fit the Minkus family, but as often was the way of things it tied neatly into their situation.

"Alright remember last year we talked about the rebellion of the late '60's," Cory said.

"Fun times," Maya countered.

"This year we are going to talk about the conformity of the '50s and early '60s," Cory added.

"Snooze fest," Maya added.

"Well not quite," Cory said. "Right now I am going to show you clips from _The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet _and _The Patty Duke Show_."

"Major snooze fest," Maya repeated as Cory turned off the lights and started the Blu-Ray.

Cory turned back on the lights as the "Cousins, Identical Cousins" theme ended. "There now what did you see?"

"The inside of my eyelids," Maya countered.

"Only white people," Zay interjected.

"Women vacuuming in pearls," Riley added.

Other students spoke up mentioning sarcastic humorous comments about the episodes. Cory nodded. "We'll all of that and more. You saw a perception of a perfect family; mother, father, two children, and in one case an identical cousin. You saw people who resolve their problems neatly in a half-hour."

"Ain't that the way it was like in the '50s?" Lucas asked.

"Not exactly in real life," Cory said. "What you didn't see in the shows was the reality. What you didn't see in _Ozzie and Harriet_ was that Ozzie Nelson was considered a dictator to his family. He pushed his sons into show business from a young age first on radio and then later on television. David and Rickey later said that he refused to let them attend college so they could continue doing their show. What you didn't see in _Patty Duke _was that Patty had been taken from her mother at a young age and lived with her managers who verbally and at times sexually abused her."

"What happened to the British girl who played her cousin," Maya asked.

Cory looked at her incredulously before answering. "The same thing." He held up vintage advertisements from the '50s for products like kitchen appliances, and cooking materials. "Much of the '50s was spent trying to sell the idea of a perfect family. Many families put up appearances like they were perfect trying to live up to an ideal that didn't exist. While this image was being sold, juvenile delinquency was on a rise. Many parents turned to alcohol or prescription drugs."

"I don't get it," Riley said. "Rickey and David Nelson and Patty Duke were around other people all day. Why didn't they say anything? Why didn't anyone notice what was going on?"

"Because Riley," Cory informed his daughter. "They were considered children. It was their word against the adults who raised them. They felt that no one would believe them. As for the other people that acted around them, since the abuse was primarily verbal, they couldn't say anything. They could question it, but there would be no evidence to prove that they were being hurt. Here's a puzzler for you, both Harriet Nelson and Patty Duke's mother were in close proximity to the situation why didn't they tell anyone? When someone say a parent is close to a situation where their child is being abused, why don't they?" Farkle could feel Cory's eyes boring into him.

"Maybe they chose not to see it," Lucas suggested.

"Maybe they couldn't fight it," Maya offered.

"Maybe they thought they were trying to protect them," Farkle muttered under his breath. "Maybe they felt that it was their fault."

"Is there something you want to add Farkle?" Cory asked.

Farkle shook his head. "No thank you, Mr. Matthews."

Cory winced in surprise. "How many of you have seen the movie, _Mommy Dearest_?"

"NO WIRE HANGERS!" Zay quoted. The other kids laughed. "I never understood what the big deal was with the wire hangers, anyway. Seems like she was just being a drama queen."

"Which one the mother or the daughter?" Darby asked.

"Both Mama for freaking out and the daughter for writing it," Zay added amongst the laughter.

Farkle stood up. "Joan Crawford's mother worked in a laundromat. Joan used to hang clothes on wire hangers and she hated the place. Her daughter Christina said that it was one of her many night raids where she tried to maintain control over her children, how they looked, how they dressed, how they cleaned the house for her. It wasn't a big deal to them!"

"Okay Farkle," Cory said. Farkle sat back down. "Farkle Time?" he encouraged the genius student.

Farkle looked from one face to another nervously. "Not today, sir."

"Okay," Cory replied confused and worried for his student. "That's an example of child abuse that while many knew about it, no one mentioned it. It wasn't until Christina wrote her autobiography after her mother died that this issue came to light."

The bell rang and Cory spoke up. "Well that's all we have time for today. Tomorrow we will talk about the McCarthy Hearings and how Hollywood reacted to it."

"Yayyy," Maya said sarcastically as she Riley, and Lucas left.

As Farkle passed Cory's desk, the teacher called the student over. "Farkle I would like to see you after class for a minute."

They waited until the other students left before Cory spoke again. "Farkle, you know that you can talk to me about anything."

"There isn't anything to talk about Mr. Matthews," Farkle replied.

"I have been hoping that you or your father would come to me if you're in trouble," Cory said.

"Why should he?" Farkle snapped but then he reverted to his original persona. "I'm sorry, Mr. Matthews. I know that you and my father didn't get along but could you please not accuse him in front of me?" He then left the classroom.

As expected, Riley, Lucas, and Maya stayed in the hallway waiting for their geekier friend. "Farkle what's wrong?" Riley asked.

"Riley, why would you think something would be wrong?" Farkle asked.

"The bruise, the way you didn't talk in class and the way you blew up at Zay," Riley listed.

"There's nothing wrong," Farkle said. "I just fell. I didn't feel like talking and Zay annoyed me, that's all."

"We want to help you," Lucas said.

"You can't help," Farkle said. "It's nothing you would understand." He walked away practically running so the others couldn't catch up to him.

"I wonder what's bothering him." Lucas said.

"It's not our business Ranger Rick," Maya added.

"How can you say that Maya, Farkle's our friend," Riley objected. "We've never turned our back on our friends."

"Look, Riley, there are just some problems that are too big for us to fix alright," Maya countered before she too walked away.

"This is starting to be an epidemic," Lucas said wryly.

"Why is Farkle keeping secrets from us and what does Maya know about it," Riley said half to herself and half to Lucas.

"Who says Maya does," Lucas asked.

Riley shrugged. "Just some things. Like remember when Farkle wanted to get his mom's ring back from Maya? Maya kept fighting him for it, but he said something like she knew exactly why he needed it back. Plus they've been whispering to each other an awful lot."

"You think they're together and not telling us," Lucas asked. Riley shrugged like that was a possibility. "It seems deeper than that," he reasoned.

"You're thinking what I'm thinking that Farkle is getting beaten and Maya knows about it," Riley asked. "Maybe by his father?"

"I don't think it's his father doing the beating." Lucas said remembering something about the ring incident.

"Come on it's usually the father or the husband, except Joan Crawford," Riley said. "I've seen enough cop shows. Besides my dad doesn't like his father and he does seem….distant."

"Riley, there's something that Farkle told me when he gave me his mother's ring that stuck out," Lucas pointed out. "I mean he laughed about it then and I didn't think too much of it until now. He said that his mother always throws her ring at his father but she always wants it back by Thursday."

Riley's eyes widened as she thought about it. "Well whoever is hurting him shouldn't be, no matter who it is! Why is this happening anyway? Farkle is one of my best friends! How could I not know about this? Why wouldn't he tell us this?" _And why didn't we notice_, the young girl asked herself. Tears formed in her eyes of the thought of one of her closest friends being hurt and her never noticing just like the people who were around the Nelson brothers, Christina Crawford, and Patty Duke. Maybe she too saw it but chose not to.

"I don't know Riley, I wish I did," Lucas said hugging her in comfort.

In his classroom, Cory picked up his cellphone as Harley Keiner entered. "Harley, can you wait to clean my classroom? I have to take a private phone call."

"Suit yourself, Baboon," Harley quipped. "I've got all night!" He left the room closing the door behind him.

Cory dialed a number for the Child Abuse Hotline. "Hello my name is Cory Matthews, a history teacher at John Quincy Adams Middle School."

"What can I help you with Mr. Matthews?" the operator asked.

"I would like to file a report for child abuse," Cory began.

"Name of the child?" the operator began.

"Farkle-That's F as in Frank-A-R-K-L-E," Cory spelled. "Minkus."

The operator paused. "Wait Minkus as in the computer guy?"

"Yes the very same," Cory answered. "He's his son."

"Is the report on the computer guy?" the operator asked.

"No, I don't think so," Cory said. "I think it's on his wife, Jennifer…"

Lucas and Riley ran into the classroom to confront Riley's father about their theory. He had just finished filing the report. "You're too late," he said. "I already took care of it."

"Took care of what, Daddy?" Riley asked innocently ready to come up with some major pleading about finding out about Farkle and surprised that her father was already onto them.

"I think I know my daughter and her friend pretty well by now," Cory said. "I already called DFS on Farkle's mother."

Farkle reentered the house. His mother was much more tucked in and dressed than he saw her earlier that morning. She wore a white blouse over black slacks and her hair was tied back in a French braid. Her makeup was completely retouched so the puffy swelling on her cheek was almost invisible. She was speaking on the phone in an exaggerated overtly pleasing tone. "Why of course Stuart and I will attend your charity opera. We are looking forward to it." The person continued to speak as Farkle dropped his bag on the floor. Jennifer continued to speak on the phone. "Oh Stuart and I are just fine. Our relationship is never better. And Farkle? He is just wonderful, such a brilliant boy…. Well naturally I'm proud to be his mother." Farkle opened the refrigerator to get a juice jug. He then reached for a glass. Irritated, Jennifer put her hand on the receiver and the phone to her breast before she chastised her son. "Could you be a little louder? I'm only on the phone."

Farkle knew that Maya would say something like "I could try," and proceed to make more noise. But Farkle just humbly apologized and gathered his drink as quietly as he could.

Jennifer continued to talk on the phone while Farkle thumbed through the magazine pictures that lay on the island. They were of various homes, decorated in various ornate styles. Next to them lay photographs of their home as well as the potential orders for the new furniture. Farkle drank thoughtfully as he looked at the pictures. Jennifer turned to her son again. "Farkle, keep your hands off. I am working on that."Farkle nodded. She continued on the phone. "Well I am sending some of the photos of our home to the editor, tomorrow." She said. "Of course it will look completely different by then, with all new furniture but it will give them an idea of how our home will be….. Well of course Stuart will buy the furniture. He does everything for me. …Yes, I am truly lucky aren't I?" She glanced at her wedding ring and rolled her eyes. Trying to be the perfect family, Farkle thought ironically remembering Mr. Matthews lesson and how tightly it pertained.

She turned to the phone and resumed speaking. "Of course I am looking forward to the photo spread for_ Avenues..._ Anyone who is anyone will see it." Farkle leaned over, but the glass tumbled out of his hand. Before he could stop it, the juice poured over the table and onto his mother's pictures. Jennifer rose and watched the mess, her face reddened. "I'm sorry," she said on the phone through clenched teeth. "I will have to get back to you." She hung up the phone and stormed up to her son. "You little shit, do you have any idea how important it was to me?" She pushed her son so hard that he fell against the island and screamed. Jennifer continued to rant. "This is the one thing in my life that I was looking forward to and you ruined it! You ruin everything!"

"I'm sorry Mother," Farkle gasped as he tried to stand.

"Clean it up!" His mother commanded. Farkle meekly picked up a sponge and dabbed at the mess, throwing the worse photos in the trash. Even though the mess was clean, his mother was still angry.

Jennifer spoke again, this time very icy her eyes filled with hatred and anger. "You are nothing! I wish you were never born! You know what no one wants you! Why does your father spend so much time at work? To get away from you! Do your friends want you? They only like you because you're richer than they are! Your teachers would love to see the back of you! They're the lucky ones! They get to be away from you, but no! I get stuck with you! Why don't you just kill yourself? It would save us all the trouble!"

Farkle couldn't say anything except to cry silent tears as he walked slowly to his bedroom.

Farkle sat on his bed feeling the tears fall down his cheeks. He felt cold and numb throughout his body. His mother's words rang in his head like a song that wouldn't go away: _You are nothing….I wish you were never born…No one wants you…Why don't you just kill yourself..._ _It would save us all the trouble_! It was true enough. Farkle could see the rest of his life flash before him. He would always have to wear this mask of confidence, intelligence. It would eat away at him and erode, until everyone would

see the real Farkle. They already were beginning to. He would be nothing for the rest of his life. He could see the future envelope before him, unwanted, unneeded, unloved. Why would his father ever want him when he has his job? His friends and people in school tolerated him, but didn't care about him. Well his mother made her feelings perfectly clear. He was a waste of human skin and air.

He flipped on his laptop and poured out his thoughts to the screen in a letter to his father.

He printed the letter and left it on his desk writing "Father," on the outside.

He felt like he was walking through cold water or a frozen ice block as he staggered to the bathroom. He closed and locked the door then took off his clothing. He moved his hands around his thin body and glanced at himself in the mirror. His face looked hideous screwed up and crying. He pounded on the mirror in frustration putting a crack in the glass and a sharp cut on his knuckles. He ignored it.

He opened the medicine cabinet and took out a large bottle of diphenhydramine which was used for cold medication. He also reached for a razor. He laughed at the bitter irony. He had only just begun to shave and here he was using the razor for other purposes. Farkle turned on the bathtub and let the water pour over his body. He waited until the bathtub was full then he reached over and turned the faucets off. He opened the pill bottle and placed a handful of pills in his mouth and swallowed them down. He then poured another handful in his mouth and then lay the razor next to his arm towards his torso. He barely made a sound as he could see the red pouring from the open wound. He welcomed the exhaustion that filled him as he cut the other arm.

Jennifer heard a sound coming from the bathroom. "Farkle?" She called, but her son didn't answer. Instead she heard the sound of water running. She shrugged. He was probably taking a bath. She jumped at the sound of the knock on the door. She opened it to see two people looking at her.

One was an overweight brunette woman and the other was a large bearded African-American man. "Mrs. Jennifer Minkus," the woman said.

"Yes?" Jennifer asked.

"I am Officer Taylor and this is Officer Armitage," she said with an official voice. "We are from the Department of Family Services. We are responding from a call about your son, Fark-Lee?"

"Farkle," his mother corrected. "His name is Farkle." _It's a dumb name anyway,_ she thought, _I wanted to name him Shamus. But of course he named him while I was laid up with post-partum depression! _

"I apologize ma'am, Farkle," the officer said.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Jennifer objected crossing her arms defiantly. _This was not going to be good, how was she going to get out of this one_?

"The report stated that your son appeared in school with a black eye," Armitage said. "And it further alleges that you did the hurting."

Jennifer felt a bit weak at the knees. She should have made Farkle stay home until the bruise healed, but oh no he and his nerd of a father insisted on perfect attendance. "Who would make such an accusation?"

"We cannot give that information out to you," Taylor said. "For confidentiality reasons."

It didn't matter. Jennifer had a feeling who it was. She should have pulled Farkle from John Quincy Adams when she found out his teacher was Cory Matthews. That Brillo Head always had it out for her! She would love for him to be here right now so she could really make him suffer, but first how was she going to counter these allegations?

"My son is just very clumsy," she said. "Children often are at that age. This whole thing is blown out of proportion." She walked closer to the officials.

"That may be true," Armitage said as he stepped into the apartment with Taylor close behind. _Make yourself at home,_ Jennifer thought sarcastically. "But for now, we have to put your son in a foster home until the hearing."

The two officials moved forward as Jennifer held onto him. "You cannot take my son! You cannot do this!"

"Ma'am we have no choice," Taylor said.

In the bright lights of the living room, Taylor looked closer at Jennifer's face.

She pointed at the right side of Jennifer's cheek. "What happened to you ma'am?"

Jennifer's eyes narrowed. Of course she knew the perfect way to get out of this. _Sorry,_ _Stuart_, she thought knowing that she would miss the golden goose, _but the Titanic is going down and I am only saving one of us. It's women and children first._

She worked up a few tears and made choking sounds. "I've covered for him long enough," she said crying. "My friends keep telling me to leave him but I don't know what to do!"

Taylor and Armitage looked confused at each other. "Are you implying that your husband beat your son?"

Jennifer shook her head and wrung her hands. "He has a bad temper! He yells at my son! You know how these men are, powerful CEO's and think they can control everybody even their home life! He beats him and he hurts me too! I just don't want my little boy to be hurt!"

Armitage held Jennifer by the shoulders. "Ma'am are you willing to get make a counter report on your husband?"

Jennifer shrugged. Inside she was thinking, _Forget Julianne Moore, I should get the Oscar! _"I don't know. He is a very wealthy man with many dangerous friends! He said if I ever left him that he would come after me!"

"Mrs. Minkus, we can protect you and your son," Armitage said. "We can deliver you to a safe house."

Jennifer inwardly winced. She wasn't planning on that. A thought occurred to her to kill two birds with one stone: get rid of Stuart and make sure that her family came out with their wealth unscathed. "No, but if I can call my father, he would take Farkle and I in in a heartbeat. He never liked my husband and tried to warn me about him, but of course I didn't listen." She fell into a fit of sobbing.

Taylor looked at her quizzically. "Mrs. Minkus, won't your father's be the first place that your husband would look?" Jennifer glared at her. What is with this woman's suspicion?

"I know," Jennifer said ruefully. "But my father has an in with the local police upstate. If they find out that Stuart tracked us down, he could take care of it." That fact was true. _Good luck trying to find us, you spineless wimp,_ Jennifer thought.

Armitage looked at her sympathetically. It was clear he was falling for it but Taylor was harder to convince. "I would like to hear from your son if that's alright," Taylor said. "Just so he could corroborate with the details."

_No it would not be alright you stupid cow_, Jennifer thought angrily, but instead she nodded to the bathroom. "Well I think he's having his bath. I'll go talk to him."

She walked over to the door and knocked. "Farkle honey? There are some people who want to talk to you." There was no answer. She knocked again. "Farkle?" She tried to open the doorknob but it was locked. She turned to the officials. "Something's wrong!"

She pounded on the door. "Farkle, answer me!" Armitage and Taylor ran to the the door and began pounding with her. Armitage raised his foot and kicked the door down.

Farkle lay in the tub with the water around him. Jennifer would have thought that her son was simply asleep except for the pill bottle that lay on the floor with its contents spilled and the blood that trickled out of the tub and onto the floor. "Oh no!" Jennifer gasped. "No, Farkle Baby no!" Armitage and Taylor ran past the boy's frozen immobile mother as they pulled the boy out of the tub. Armitage felt the boy's neck as Taylor covered his arms with a towel. "He's still breathing!" Taylor grabbed some bandages from her first aid kit and wrapped the boy's arms inside them. She then picked up her cell phone and called emergency while Armitage held onto his shocked mother.

Jennifer crawled to her son. Her first thoughts were, _What were you thinking? Were you thinking at all?_ She wanted to scream at him that he had made a mess on the bathroom floor. But her thoughts could not connect. Real tears streamed down her face as she slapped her son's cheeks. "Farkle, honey, come on wake up," she begged. "Please wake up, baby! Open your eyes! Please!" She kept begging getting more and more hysterical as two paramedics arrived. Armitage continued to hold onto Jennifer, but she knelt down begging for her son to open his eyes.

"Mrs. Minkus, you'd better come with us," Armitage said as he picked up the woman who kept crying and screaming not words just noise. He led her into the living room as Jennifer heard the case worker tell a paramedic to take care of her.

"Do you need any more evidence now of what he does?" Jennifer screamed. Stuart Minkus was definitely going down for this! No way was this her fault!

She barely acknowledged the injection in her arm as the paramedic gave her a sedative.

"Mrs. Minkus will you make a counter report against your husband?" Taylor asked who appeared by the mother's side.

"Yes, I will," Jennifer said wearily as the drug and the overwhelming emotions both fabricated and real filled her.

"Do you want us to call your father?" Armitage asked.

"Yes," she said. She then said her father's phone number before she fell into a peaceful drug induced sleep.

Stuart Minkus sat behind his desk as his financial advisor, Eddie Giatti read the grim possibilities for Minkus International. He wanted to know exactly how much the company would lose if he bought out his in-laws. "Give it to me straight, Eddie," he said. "Can we survive without my father-in-law's support?"

Eddie looked at his report not wanting to be the bearer of bad news. The dark haired businessman had a good head for accounts and was very good at dealing with people, even if he was a bit on the cautious and nervous side. But he was a loyal worker and could always be counted on to tell Minkus the unvarnished truth no matter how bad it was.

"Well that depends on if you want to go bankrupt in a month or wait a year," Eddie said sarcastically.

"That bad?" Minkus asked.

"Let's put it this way," Eddie began. "We'd be going down in flames and the flight attendants will stop serving beverages. Trouble in paradise?"

Minkus looked at his assistant as if that were an absurd notion. "Of course not, everything's fine."

"Yeah because people generally want to cut their in-laws out when things are going great," Eddie muttered under his breath. "Nothing wrong with the Mrs. or Junior?" Eddie had known Farkle since he was a newborn even inadvertantly at his delivery. He became really fond of Farkle when the boy was a toddler and his dad would bring him to work when he couldn't find someone to watch him. Eddie often referred to him as "Junior," or "The Kid." Even though he was single with no children, he thought of Farkle as sort of like a nephew or a kid brother. In fact he got the job of accounts executive indirectly because of Farkle, when Minkus International's previous exec, Alvin Meese, had been fired for insulting Farkle and calling him a "brat" during one of those times when his father had to bring him among other reasons. Eddie was immediately promoted in his place.

"Everything's fine, Eddie," Minkus said not wanting to continue. "Can you give me an estimate of how much we would lose then?"

Eddie looked at the numbers that his boss told to find in secret. "Let's see I think the title Minkus International would be misleading. We would lose most of our international business including the new offices in Delhi and Shanghai. All of our nice incentive packages for our clients would disappear, so it may be awhile before we get some new ones. Our staff would be disastrously cut-"

"-By how much?" Minkus asked rubbing his forehead trying to rub away the tension.

"I think it would be easier for me to tell you who we could afford to keep on," Eddie said. "We might be able to survive with five technicians, one office manager, and someone in accounts. They will be paid the same salaries as before right?"

"Probably not," Minkus answered wryly.

"Make that three or four technicians then," Eddie corrected making the change in his notes.

"I want Jessie to start giving me their resumes," Minkus remarked. "I want to have an idea of who we can keep and who can be laid off."

Eddie held up his hands in defense. "This sounds like something you are actually thinking of doing."

"Just seriously considering it," Minkus said knowing that he was going to lose no matter what he chose. He didn't know what was right anymore. For a man who prided himself on thinking he knew everything, for the first time Stuart Minkus realized that he didn't know anything at all.

"Then if you don't mind, I think I will update my resume," Eddie suggested. "I hear Jack Hunter's hiring."

Minkus looked at his advisor stone faced. "You do what you have to do. I would appreciate it if you did not let the news out until I want to make it official. I haven't decided yet and I definitely don't want Mr. Bassett or my wife to know."

"Wouldn't hear it from me," Eddie said putting his mouth to his lips as though he were pretending to lock his mouth shut.

From Minkus' computer he saw the icon for his office manager, Jessie Goloff appear.

He opened the icon to see her face appear on the screen. "Mr. Minkus there are two police officers in the lobby. They want to speak with you," Jessie said.

Eddie and Minkus looked confused but Minkus turned to the computer. "I'll be right there, Jessie," he said.

When Minkus entered the lobby he could see the two police officers standing behind Jessie's desk. The red-haired plump office manager crossed her arms in defiance. "I told you that Mr. Minkus will be out in a minute. You can't just come in here and-"

"-It's alright, Jessie, I'm here," Minkus told her. He was impressed by Jessie's loyalty and formidable nature in protecting her superiors almost like a mother tiger protecting her cubs. He hoped that she at least would stay on.

"Are you Stuart Minkus?" one of the officers said.

"Yes," Minkus answered.

"We have a warrant for your arrest," the police officer held up a paper.

"What?" Minkus was confused. "This is preposterous! I haven't done anything wrong!" He continued to object as the officers slapped handcuffs on him and read him his rights. "I know my rights! What are the charges?"

"Domestic violence," the police officer said.

"What?" Minkus asked incredulously. "That is not true! Where is my wife? Where is my son?"

"Your wife is under protection at a secure location," the officer answered testily. "Your son is at Mt. Sinai. It appears that he tried to commit suicide."

The news sunk in. Minkus couldn't feel his legs. "No, oh god no, please dear god, no!" He begged as the police officers led him away from the desk. Regaining some sense of business, Minkus turned to Jessie. "Jessie, call Mt. Sinai and find out Farkle's condition immediately and call Topanga Lawrence-Matthews, she's an attorney!"

"I'm on it," Jessie said already putting the phone to her ear and dialing the numbers as her boss was led out of the lobby and the building.

Author's Note: All biographical information on the Nelsons, Patty Duke, and Joan Crawford are true and are based on multiple sources. I particularly recommend Duke's autobiography _Call Me Anna._ Not only does it describe Duke's relationship with John and Ethel Ross, her managers but it also documents her journey through what would later be known as bipolar disorder.


	4. Proving a Negative

Unhappy in Its Own Way

Chapter Four: Proving a Negative

Author's note: The story behind Farkle's name was completely made up by me. The name really does come from a dice game, but other than that I had to embellish a bit.

Topanga heard a knock on the door as she sat on the couch. She smiled. "Who is it?" she asked.

"It is Ramon, your secret lover," a teasing and familiar voice called through the door affecting a Latino accent.

Topanga couldn't resist playing along. "Now, Ramon, you know our agreement, you only come on Thursday nights. You're a day late."

There was a long pause outside before a sheepish voice continued reverting to his actual voice. "Okay I was just kidding there, but now I'm getting worried."

Topanga smiled and rolled her eyes as she opened the door. "Come in you," she told Cory.

"Where are the kids?," Cory asked. "Well Auggie I know is at Dewey's house."

He emphasized the pronunciation of "Doy" just to playfully rile his wife. Topanga smirked.

"They're in Riley's room well Maya and Lucas are," she said.

"Lucas is in there?" Cory inquired suspiciously. "They could be doing things!"

"Like talking," Topanga said. "I was just by the door. I did not hear any heavy breathing or panting."

"What?" Cory gasped. He was about to head for the bedroom when Topanga held him back.

"Freeze they're fine," Topanga said. Cory returned to the living room. All playfulness and teasing was gone from his face. He looked serious.

"Actually I need to talk to you alone anyway," Cory said.

Topanga nodded. "Okay Cory I'm all ears."

"It's about someone we know," he said. "I had to file a DFS report today-"

Topanga nodded silently. She knew that Cory hated discovering abuse among his students. He was about to continue, when her cell phone started to ring. "I'm only supposed to get this for priority calls." She answered while standing up. "Hello, yes this is Topanga Lawrence-Matthews. Oh no, you're kidding!...What are the charges?...Oh my god! Yes of course I will set the bail bond..How are his wife and son?" Topanga paled as she listened. "What?...Oh my god!...Yes I will get the proceedings started as soon as possible. Good-bye." She hung up the phone and turned to her husband. "Cory, you will never believe who that was about."

"Stuart and Farkle Minkus," Cory guessed.

"How did you know?" Topanga asked.

"I filed a DFS report for Farkle today," he said.

"Stuart's just been arrested for domestic violence," Topanga answered.

Cory's mouth dropped open in surprise. "No, I made the report on Jennifer! Minkus told me that she had been verbally abusive towards Farkle! Today, I saw him with a black eye."

Topanga shook her head. "You remember what she was like. She probably turned around and filed a report on him!"

Cory nodded remembering Jennifer when she was Shawn's ex-girlfriend and her manipulative games. Obviously adulthood hadn't changed her a bit. In fact she seemed to have gotten worse. "Well how is Minkus doing?"

"He wants me to set up a bail bond with his office," she said. "The worst part is Farkle. He's in the hospital. They think that he might have attempted suicide!"

"Oh my god," Corey said putting his hands to his face. "We have to go, but the kids can't know about this."

"We already do," Riley's voice came from behind the two adults. Topanga and Cory turned to see Riley, Maya, and Lucas standing behind them.

Without arguing, Cory reached for his keys and motioned the kids forward. "Let's go!" He said. The three teenagers followed them while Topanga headed for her law office and to make arrangements for Stuart's bail.

Shawn Hunter and Katy Hart were enjoying their second date. "I wasn't sure if you would like to go to a café," Shawn said shyly as he held the chair open for her. "I figured you would be sick of coffee." He said as they received their drinks.

"Well this is nice," Katy said looking around the upscale bistro that he selected. "And it has been a nice date. Much better than the first one."

"Hey I can't help it if we got lost twice," he said. "Anyway at least we found an open place in the Bronx!"

Katy nodded. "If we got lost anymore we would have had to find an open place in the Hudson."

Shawn and Katy laughed at the memory. "Actually there's something I want to ask you."

Katy held up her hand. "Shawn, I'm not ready to get remarried."

Shawn shook his head. "Oh no no, not yet! I just wanted to know if you wanted to take this to the next level be more exclusive, sort of a trial-engaged-to-be-engaged-kind of thing."

Katy smiled at how tongue tied Shawn could sometimes be. "Oh Shawn, wow. I have seen how you are with Maya and you have been wonderful with me. I'd like that. Let's see how it goes."

Shawn took Katy's hand. "Katy I just wanted to say something that I've wanted to say to you for a long time. I feel-" He then looked at the familiar face on the TV screen behind the serving counter. "-Minkus!"

Katy bristled. "Well I feel minkus too." She said confused.

"No look," he pointed at the TV. Holding hands the two approached the counter. "Can you turn that up please?" he asked. The hostess nodded as she turned up the TV. Katy and Shawn could see an image of Stuart Minkus being led out of his office in handcuffs. The reporter spoke into the camera. "Stuart Minkus, CEO of Minkus International was arrested earlier today on charges of domestic violence. The computer mogul who was once called the next Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg has been released on bond. His wife, Jennifer, is reportedly in a secure location and his son, Fark-Lee-"

"-Farkle, the kid's name is Farkle," Shawn corrected to the TV screen. He sort of expected the reporter to answer back at him like on old sitcoms.

"-is in the hospital possibly of an attempted suicide. Minkus was unavailable for comment but his publicist has released a statement-"

Katy turned to Shawn frightened and worried as he quickly threw down money to pay for his and Katie's drinks. "Shawn, I know that man. He's completely innocent!"

Shawn nodded. "I know he is. More importantly, I know his wife!" He and Katy grabbed each others' hands and ran out of the bistro.

Stuart Minkus sat silent in his son's hospital room as Eddie sat next to him reading the Internet headlines and few newspapers that had already released the early versions of the story. Farkle lay on the hospital bed surrounded by machines and tied to tubes, so quiet and helpless. Bandages covered his arms. Minkus stroked Farkle's hand to give his son and himself assurance. Minkus held his son's hand barely listening as Eddie continued to talk. Technically he shouldn't be here with his son because he was still under investigation, but since his mother was nowhere to be found, Minkus was the only family member that Farkle had now that could be with him. For goodness sake, this was his son! A pride of hungry lions wasn't going to keep Stuart Minkus from sitting by Farkle's bedside.

Eddie continued to talk.

"That attorney, Tapioca-"

"-Topanga," Minkus corrected.

"-Whatever was really quick with the bail bond," he said.

"Thanks to her for settling it," Minkus remarked. "Thank you for paying it."

"Hey it was the least that we could do," Eddie said remembering that he had to draw from Minkus International's petty cash. "It wouldn't look good to the company if the CEO is MIA."

"How bad is the publicity?" Minkus said.

" Duggars bad," Eddie nodded.

Minkus did not understand the reference but did not want to press that matter. He just wanted to get this report done as soon as possible and concentrate on Farkle. "Your parents called," Eddie said. "They said 'A wife beater does not have any business being in our family!' Pretty much told you to enjoy lying in the bed you made."

Minkus rolled his eyes. "When I told them that I was having problems in my marriage, they told me to 'man up and stick it out.' Why should they bother caring now?"

"Has business been affected?" Minkus asked.

"Not too bad I mean clients are pulling out in droves," Eddie said. "Already notices have been handed in. It makes going through the resumes a lot easier. Stocks have plummeted."

"How is that not too bad," Minkus asked.

"Well she could have shot you," Eddie said. "Oh and you are 47% poorer." Minkus looked at his assistant for the first time. "Mr. Bassett showed up. He was only too happy to set up a private stockholders meeting which I might add, I was not permitted to attend."

Minkus sighed. "I saw that one coming. Have you heard from Jennifer?"

Eddie shrugged. "As invisible as Sue Storm from the Fantastic Four," Minkus shook his head not understanding that reference either. "I gather from the way your father-in-law was talking that she was with them."

"I figured as much," Minkus said.

"In case you wondered about it, I narrowed down the list to potential employees who are willing to stick around with Minkus Not-So-International." He didn't wait for his employer to speak before he continued. "Mike Chu and Christine Monte on hardware, Ali Gold and Lonny Overton on software." Minkus nodded. They were some of his favorite technicians. If they hadn't volunteered to stay, he would spend the rest of his life trying to get them to come back. "For office manager, you have Jessie Goloff-" Minkus smiled. He hoped that Jessie would agree to stay. "-And for accounts-" He paused. "-Eddie Giatti."

Minkus smiled. "So, Jack Hunter didn't work out for you."

Eddie waved his hand ruefully. "Ah, I didn't like the benefits package besides I didn't have the history with him that I do here."

Minkus smiled touched."You know Eddie, if I'm found guilty you will all be fired anyway," Minkus pointed out.

"We'll wait for the actual pink slip," Eddie replied.

"You do believe that I'm innocent don't you," Minkus asked.

Eddie smiled. "I have seen you with Junior ever since he was your Mini-Minkus. There is no way you hurt him. Let's face it, I have wanted to take a swing at Mrs. Minkus a few times. You have so much patience that a saint would be wondering if they could bottle it and believe me I know many of them," Eddie said remembering his Catholic upbringing.

"These charges are false. I'm betting my career on it, well literally now."

Minkus was moved by his employees' faith in him. "Thank you, Eddie. I really appreciate it and for giving me the update, but I can't think about this right now." He nodded over at Farkle asleep in a deep coma on his hospital bed.

Eddie nodded and he rose to leave. "Of course, I'll be by to give another one." He hesitated before he turned to the door. "He'll pull through, Stuart. He's like his old man, he'll pull through."

Minkus nodded feeling the lump form in his throat as his advisor left the intensive care room.

While Minkus was alone with his son, he told him a familiar story. He knew realistically that there were studies that coma patients could hear people from the other side and there were just as many studies that disproved that theory. But he also felt alone and needed to talk to someone and he needed to let his son know that he was there.

He began to tell Farkle about his Great-Grandpa Ginsburg and what a genius that he was always creating word puzzles for his grandson or giving him logic questions so he would guess the answer. They had also developed their own secret language developed on words that they used to have different meanings from their original sources. One of those words was based on a six-dice game that Grandpa Ginsburg used to love to play, because he had the unfair advantage based on his knowledge of probability.

"Grandpa said that whenever he would play 'farkle' he always felt lucky because he always won," Minkus said. "He said that he liked the name because to him it was a portmanteau of 'fire' and 'sparkle.' Before he would play, he would always say, 'Let it fire. Let it sparkle. And be ready to give yourself a farkle.' So with us it became a word meaning a joyous occasion or a happy surprise. Even though he died five months before you were born, I knew what your great-grandpa would have said when he first saw you, 'You got yourself a Farkle there, son!'" He felt tears fall from his eyes as he lowered his head. He raised it when he felt like he was being watched. He looked through the mirror to see Cory, Topanga, Shawn and Katy standing by the doorway. He could also see Riley, Maya, and Lucas sitting in the waiting room. "I didn't expect to see any of you here," Minkus said. "Thank you for setting the bail bond, Topanga."

Topanga nodded at the gratitude. "How is he, Stuart?"

Minkus winced trying to keep his composure but knowing that he was not doing a good job. "The outlook isn't good. He has only a 10% chance of survival rate. He was quite thorough at it. He swallowed over 1500 mgs of diphenhydramine enough to put himself to sleep. When he-cut himself- he made the incision towards his body not away from it. He made sure that the job was complete." He pointed at the clipboard on top of the respirator. "They gave me a form to turn off his life support. They only do that if they are certain that he isn't going to make it." Cory picked up the form showing his wife and friends that it was unsigned. Minkus continued. "He even left me a note." He held out the printout and handed it to Cory. "You can read it if you want, I don't care."

Cory opened the note and read out loud:

"Father,

I have known all along that you can't prove a negative. You can't prove someone is not nothing. I don't want you to blame yourself for what I have to do. I don't even want you to blame mother for it but I cannot argue with what is the truth. I am nothing and she is the only one who is honest enough to tell me. I don't want to see the rest of my life having to pretend otherwise. All I see is darkness closing in around me and my life filled with blank emptiness. So I am going where most of us nothings go, nowhere.

I want my telescope and all of my astronomy maps to go to John Quincy Adams Middle School. Maybe some budding genius will make better use of it than I did. I want my insect collection to go to the Future Entomologists Club. My books and other academic tools can be split among the Academic Halves and Isadora Smackle. The turtlenecks can go to Janitor Harley as a thank you for helping me. All love letters and other tokens can be split among my ladies, Riley and Maya. The Confidence Award can be given to Lucas since I know no one with more confidence than him.

I want my maps and history books to go to Mr. Matthews as a reminder of the many Farkle Times. I want you to have my computer, laptop, tablet, and other technologies. Maybe you will one day be able to download my voice and personality and will have a Farkle that never fails and can never be hurt. I want my plans for world domination to be put in a safe deposit box. If you and Mother finally get through your animosity maybe you can have a younger Minkus who will take over the mantle of "Future Dictator of the World." The rest of my worldly possessions can be dispersed as you and mother see fit.

I am sorry that this has to happen and I know you will feel lonely, but I hope you won't be alone. I don't know where I will go afterwards but when you go stargazing this summer, I want you to look up. Maybe I will be smiling down on you.

Love your son,

Farkle."

Cory put down the letter and embraced his wife who sobbed in his arms. Katy reached over and touched Minkus by the shoulder. "This doesn't mean that he will die, Stuart. You just have to have faith that he will wake up. He will live."

Minkus shook his head. "You don't understand, Katy. I'm not here to hope my son wakes up. I want to be with Farkle in his last moments. I am here to be with him as he dies." Cory, Topanga, and Katy stood in shock at Minkus' logical attitude towards his child's impending death.

"Are you serious, Minkus?," Cory asked not believing what his former rival was saying.

"Of course I am Cory," Minkus answered drained of any feeling.

"Minkus how can you be so cold?" Cory asked. "Farkle is your son!"

" Oh is he really? I hadn't noticed," Minkus said sarcastically but trying to maintain his logical composure. "There are no other alternatives. It has to be done. He has to be turned off."

Shawn shook his head. He had been in the hospital three times watching someone he cared about: First, Mr. Turner, then his father, Chet, and then Cory's younger brother, Joshua. He knew what that sense of feeling alone was like and he wouldn't wish it on anyone even Stuart Minkus. "Minkus that is a lot of crap and you know it!"

Minkus looked up at Shawn Hunter. "My son is dying! Don't tell me what I know, Shawn!"

"You don't really believe that," Shawn said. "If you did, you wouldn't be here now. You would have signed that form and pulled the plug a long time ago!"

"He has a 90% chance of dying," Minkus objected. "Even if by some highly unlikely probable chance that he does survive, he may have physical and psychological problems for the rest of his life! The proof is unmistakable!"

"That's what you know up here," Shawn said pointing to his head. "What do you know in here?" He pointed towards his heart.

Minkus winced his entire body choking with the deep emotion that he tried to keep buried for so long. "That I don't want my son to die," he sobbed. "Farkle is only thirteen

years old and he deserves a chance to go to high school, learn how to drive, go to college, and maybe fall in love! He is the only person that I truly loved without any thought or analysis beforehand. After he was born, I held him and he looked up at me with those big eyes and that innocent face I said, 'I love you, more than anything, I love you.' It kills me to see him lying here like this! He's not nothing! He's everything to me, everything!"

The speech exhausted Minkus as he sank back down and held onto his son's hand and kissed it as if for dear life.

Riley, Maya, and Lucas sat outside the waiting room. Riley fiddled with her hair frantically and kept babbling. Maya kept looking at Farkle's hospital bed, all color gone from her face. Lucas was leaned over on his seat with his hands joined together in prayer. "He's going to be alright, Lucas, please tell me that he's going to be alright!" Riley kept crying.

"He's going to be alright," Lucas said coming out of his prayer as he held Riley. "He's going to walk out of here and it will be just like old times!" The dark-haired girl sobbed on Lucas' shoulder.

"You can't promise that, Hopalong," Maya said desperately.

"Maya just once can you not think that hope is for suckers," Lucas said angry at his friend.

"You can't fill her up with denial," Maya said. "Thinking that Farkle is going to live and everything is going to be la-di-da like it was! You have to prepare for the worst."

"But Maya I want for the best," Riley reminded her.

"Just because you want it doesn't mean that it's going to happen," Maya said.

Cory, Topanga, Katy, and Shawn sat in a huddle next to the kids holding up their end of a private conversation. "This is my fault," Cory said. "I should have filed that DFS report when Minkus told me that Jennifer was verbally abusing Farkle."

"You can't blame yourself Cory," Topanga reminded him. "Verbal abuse is very hard to prove. Family Services often doesn't step in unless there is actual physical violence."

"I should have tried harder," Cory said. "I just gave him a number for all the good that it did."

"It may have helped give them someone to talk to," Topanga reassured her husband.

"I knew it was going to go bad for them for years and I barely stepped in," Shawn said.

"How did you know?" Katy asked.

"I ran into Minkus and Jennifer a few years ago in a restaurant before they were married. She had this big diamond engagement ring on. I said to Minkus 'Are you crazy? She is manipulative, controlling, she's going to mess you up and break your heart!'"

"What did he say?" Cory asked.

"He basically said that I made fun of him for six years and ignored him for the other six when we were in school. I had no business telling him what to do with his life and that he was in love with her. He also told me in his own scientific way to fuck off. That's the last I saw him until now," Shawn answered.

"How do you know his wife?" Katy asked.

"We went to high school together in Philadelphia," Shawn answered. "We dated a few times. She also told me to stop being friends with Cory just because he didn't like her and she and two other girls later kidnapped me and handcuffed me to keep Angela from going out with me."

"Sounds like she was a piece of work even then," Katy observed. She then looked confused at her friends. "Did everyone in New York go to high school with all of you in Philadelphia because really I'm starting to feel left out?"

Cory shrugged. "Well I didn't know Lucas' father until he transferred here. We only met his mother in college though."

"Oh that makes perfect sense," Katy said bemused that a woman from Texas could not only have known Cory, Topanga, and Shawn in Philadelphia but that she would still have an acquaintanceship with them in New York. She then returned to the original subject. "Well I don't know her at all but I do know Stuart and he would never hurt Farkle. If they need a witness to that, I will be glad to tell them."

"How do you know Stuart," Topanga asked.

"Well Maya and I go to-"Katy said when Maya interrupted her.

"-Mom," she said.

"Maya, this isn't about us," Katy turned to her daughter. There was a long silence but Maya gave her a go-ahead gesture and Katy continued. "-Maya and I go to a group for abuse victims. Stuart and Farkle are also members. The man who talks to and looks after his son in that group is not the man that is capable of doing the things that they accuse him of. I know it."

Shawn took Katy's hand. "You were abused too."

Katy nodded. "By Kermit-" Shawn smiled and was about to laugh when Katy held up her hand "-Don't even. When he was drunk sometimes he would…do things to Maya that a father shouldn't do to his daughter. Sometimes he would beat me for trying to stop him." She paused. "I should be glad that he left because I would have killed him if he didn't." Shawn hugged his girlfriend, holding her close and reached for Maya who accepted his embrace.

Riley turned to her best friend as she slipped away from Shawn. "You never told us this."

"It's not exactly something to brag about," Maya said ruefully. "Anyway it happened a long time ago, but Mom and I still have problems with how we feel about ourselves so we still go to the group."

"But why didn't you ever tell me?," Riley said.

Maya shrugged. "Because I felt embarrassed and dirty. Maybe I was trying to block it out by pretending it didn't happen. Anyway I didn't want to talk about what was going on with Farkle because I would have to admit that I was going to the group."

Riley hugged her friend tightly. "Maya you should never have to feel like you have to block anything from me. Whatever it is I will always be there." Maya accepted her best friend's words with thanks.

Minkus lay sprawled over his son's bedside. One arm was draped around the young boy's body and the other's hand was rested on top of Farkle's. He rested his head on the pillow next to Farkle's head. The hum of the respirator and the lifeline's beeps droned on and on. He was exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally. He felt broken and defeated. If Farkle did die, he was just going to sign everything over to Jennifer because nothing else would have mattered in his life. He heard a soft voice and felt a breath tickle his ear. "Father," a weak voice said.

Minkus looked up to see his son's eyes open. "Farkle," he whispered biting his lip and crying in disbelief.

Cory woke up from resting on Topanga's shoulder. He looked at his watch. 10 after 5:00 in the morning. "I didn't realize what time it is. We'd better take them home."

Topanga stood up next to her husband and tapped Riley on the shoulder. "Riley, we're going home. You can spend the night with us if you want Maya," she said.

"No, I'm taking Katy home," Shawn said. "I'll take her too."

Cory turned to his best friend. "Are you sure, Shawn?"

Shawn nodded. "Yes I am, if you two will let me." Katy and Maya both put their hands in his.

"Can Lucas spend the night?" Riley asked trying to find some humor in the situation.

"No," Cory declared. He pointed at Lucas. "You I will drop off at your parents."

"I figured that you would sir," Lucas said.

Maya turned to Riley on her way out. "He is going to wake up," she declared to Riley.

"I thought you told me to prepare for the worst," Riley said.

"I know but I want for the best like you do," the blond girl told her friend hugging her tightly.

They were about to leave when they heard a voice say wearily. "He's awake." The adults and teenagers turned to see Minkus standing at the doorway. He looked like a complete mess, his clothing rumpled and untidy and his hair in disarray. His face was completely ashen and tear stained. "He woke up. He's alright now," he said. The friends and family exchanged happy smiles and joyful tears at the news.

Cory smiled. "That's great, Minkus."

Minkus looked downward. "Thank you all for being here for us. I want you to know, I am not usually good at asking for help. But I am asking for it now, because we need it." His voice was desperate. "Help us, please."


	5. Intervention For A Friend

Unhappy In Its Own Way

Chapter Five: Intervening For A Friend

Author's Note: I was greatly inspired by the songs, "Big Shot" by Billy Joel and

"Everything She Wants" by Wham/George Michael when I wrote Stuart's intervention letter. Also the interventionist counselor, Elena Ditillo is an original character. Thank you again for all of the responses and favorites. It warms my heart how much this story is appreciated. :D

Minkus paced back and forth inside Topanga's Bakery while Cory, Topanga, and Katy

watched him as he moved. Farkle was seated in his and his friends' regular spots fidgeting and staring at the front door nervously. "Now there is no need to be nervous," the curly dark-haired woman said as she drank the coffee that Katy offered her. "If we stick to how we rehearsed this intervention, nothing can go wrong."

"You said so yourself that we can't plan for her reaction," Minkus reminded the woman.

Elena Ditillo, the interventionist counselor nodded. "That's true," she said. "But at least from our end we know what to do."

"Thank you again for closing the bakery for this, Topanga, Ms. Hart," Elena said to the two women. Topanga was seated on a stool in front of the bar while Katy stood behind it. Elena told Minkus and Farkle that the intervention had to be held in some place other than their apartment because if Jennifer became defensive, she could retreat to her bedroom or find alternate means of escape like out of a rear window inside a terrain in which she was familiar. So instead of any of his friends' homes (Shawn and Katy's homes were too small and Cory and Topanga didn't want Auggie in unnecessary jeopardy if things went bad), Farkle suggested the neutral ground of the bakery.

Topanga shrugged. "Sure we often close it for private functions, all the important milestones birthday parties, wedding receptions, interventions."

Cory, Riley, and the others were with Farkle and Minkus through every step of the intervention process. Topanga represented Minkus to have the false domestic violence charged appealed and recommended Elena as a counselor knowing her from various court cases. The gang helped the father and son rehearse the various scenarios from the intervention and agreed to be a support system and to be there for them during this tense time.

The door opened and the teenagers and adults stood wary and tense. They sat back down in disappointment when Shawn walked in. "Has She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named shown up yet?"

"Not yet, Shawn," Cory said. He turned to Minkus. "You sure she's going to show, Minkus?"

Minkus nodded. "I told her that I cancelled her credit cards. She'll be here in a flash."

"This is my first intervention," Riley said looking down at her pink long-sleeved scoop neck blouse and black jeans. "I hope I'm wearing the right outfit!"

"You look fine," Lucas told her.

"Are we allowed to eat during these things?" Cory quipped.

"Yes," Elena remarked. Cory then happily accepted a cruller from Katy. "Yumm," he said excited as he ate the dessert.

"Alright, Stuart, Farkle," Elena called the father and son over. They sat next to her on the sofa as she read through the paperwork of the plan. "Now we've gone over all the steps. There are two police officers in the back-"She nodded at the two large men seated in the back corner happily munching on the brownies and drinking the lattes that had been offered. Elena continued. "They will only step in if your wife becomes violent or tries to leave. You have your support system." She nodded at Cory, Topanga, Katy, Shawn, Riley, Lucas, and Maya. "The plan is in place for her treatment?"

"I confirmed it this morning," Minkus said. "They will be happy to receive her."

"At least someone will be," Shawn quipped to his friends and girlfriend.

"Good, good," Elena complimented them. "You wrote your letters?"

Father and son held out their letters. Minkus said, "They have been written, rewritten, edited-"

"-I can't believe you gave Minkus an F," Shawn laughed and high fived Cory. The irony didn't escape him.

"'-And critiqued," Minkus said rolling his eyes. He then corrected Shawn testily. "He didn't give me an F, Shawn. I was still very angry when I wrote my first draft. Cory simply suggested that I rewrite it."

"But still if you were a student in his class and it was a homework assignment and he were grading it," Shawn continued to egg the genius on. "It would have been an F."

"It was not an F," Minkus insisted. "Tell him Cory!"

Cory turned to his best friend seriously, but then grinned. "It was kind of fun giving him the F!" The two friends laughed and clasped each other's hands.

Minkus stood up and faced his two former adversaries. "Why are you here, Shawn? Oh right because you two would suffer from oxygen deprivation if you were separated for very long." Cory and Shawn smirked at the genius' comeback.

Katy turned to Topanga, "Are those three like this all the time?"

Topanga rolled her eyes and laughed. "All the time, it's been going on for years."

Elena stood and turned to the assembled crowd. "Alright, one bit of advice for all of you. Whatever Mrs. Minkus says, don't let her antagonize you. Sometimes when the victim is backed into this, they will strike back verbally if they have to. That means don't strike her, don't threaten her, and I would suggest that you try not to make any negative comments to her in retaliation-"

"-Ohh," Cory snapped his fingers in disappointment.

"It won't help, in fact it will probably make things worse," Elena said. "She may purposely do or say things just to rile you, don't let it."

"Suppose she doesn't come! What if she sees us and doesn't want to come in!" Farkle began to panic. His friends held onto him while his father held him by the shoulder. "What if she sneaks through the back door? What if-"

"Farkle, Farkle," Stuart said holding onto his son as he continued to hyperventilate. "Look at me, look at me! Now take a deep breath. Come on, breathe!"

Farkle looked closely at his father as if they were the only two people in the room. He continued to breathe quickly as he said, "3, 9, 81, 6561, 43046721." He began to relax.

Minkus continued to steady his son until his panic subsided. He was very worried. It had been almost a week since Farkle was discharged from the hospital and he still carried the psychological scars along with the ones on his arms. He was given to fits of panic and depression and sometimes was overcome with nightmares. Minkus didn't want his son to have any part in the intervention, but the boy wanted to be there.

"You don't have to go through with this if you don't want to. I have your letter. You have said your piece through that. You can go home if you want," Minkus suggested.

"I want to do this, Father," Farkle said. "If we never see Mother again this will be my last chance to say good-bye."

"Okay," Minkus said. He trailed his hand down Farkle's arm. Before he touched his son's hand, Minkus' lingered on Farkle's bandaged wrist as though he wanted to wipe off the wound with his touch alone. "Are you alright?"

Farkle nodded as Minkus stepped away and resumed his spot next to Elena. "That's a very mature young man that you have Stuart," Elena said.

Minkus smiled with pride. "I know he is."

Cory moved towards the door to reassure his student. "Don't worry Farkle. We are all looking at the door. The cops are in the back. I'd like to see anybody get through that door and us not knowing-" Jennifer appeared at his side. Cory smiled sheepishly. "Hi Anybody," he said to Jennifer.

Jennifer glared at Cory as she raised her hand and hissed in a clawing motion. Cory smirked. _Yep, Zathruk the Undead's still got it_, he thought remembering his old nickname for Jennifer.

Jennifer glared. "I know it was you that called them, Brillo Head!"

Cory smirked. "Yeah well I have this funny quirk that I don't like when one of my students gets hurt, especially by their parents, the people who-oh, I don't know-are supposed to love and take care of them. The funny thing is the state of New York doesn't really like it either. So I have this obsessive urge to step in." Jennifer didn't answer Cory's comments.

"Jen been too long," Shawn said.

Jennifer turned to Shawn. "How are you doing, Shawn? Let's see the last time we were together-"

"—February 14, 1998 you, Dana Pruitt, and Libby Harper handcuffed me to a boathouse," Shawn remarked. "I remember everything. I wore blue; you wore red. You were a bitch," _What changed_, he thought sarcastically disliking her even more now. "You just can't take those precious memories away." He said sarcastically wiping an imaginary tear.

"I did it to prove to Angela Moore what a rat you are," Jennifer reminded him,

"As I recall you broke up with me because I wouldn't stop being friends with Cory," Shawn countered even though he took the blame for his behavior at the time, Jennifer always rubbed him the wrong way, even more so now. "So you just keep telling yourself that."

Jennifer then turned to Topanga. "And of course Stuart got the Midget Lawyer to help him. For as much of a pedestal as my husband puts you on, you think you would come to my eyes by now."

Topanga reared up to her full height and stared Jennifer down. "Nice to see you too, Jennifer," Topanga said politely but secretly wishing that she were a lumberjack and could chop Jennifer down faster than a redwood.

Jennifer rolled her eyes and turned to Katy. "And you must be now don't tell me-" She said and looked her up and down "-Wendy Waitress. You have the look of a drudge about you. I can't quite understand why my husband would waste his time sleeping with you." She turned to Maya and smiled. "Oh wait yes, I can!" Katy leaped across the bar and was about ready to punch this woman's lights out when Cory, Shawn, and Topanga held her back.

"Come on, Katy," Topanga said. "You heard Elena. She's just purposely trying to get you mad. She wants you to hit her-"

"-It's working," Katy said through clenched teeth ready to defend her baby girl's reputation.

"-Now be above it," Topanga told her friend. "Take a deep breath and sit down." Katy continued to stare daggers at the horrible woman while sitting back down.

"Yes listen to the Midget," Jennifer said sarcastically. "She must have a brain underneath all of that ridiculous hair." Jennifer turned to Riley. "Clearly we can see which one is yours and Cory's kid. She has the same dopey look of her parents."

Topanga then glared at Katy her face contorted in fury. "GET HER!" Katy was about to start up again when Elena called.

"Ms. Hart, please sit down," Elena said. Katy slumped back down.

Elena then turned to Jennifer. "Mrs. Minkus do you know why you're here?" she asked.

"Because my husband cancelled my credit cards," Jennifer asked.

"Not quite Jennifer," Minkus said. "I just told you that to get you here."

"So I still have my credit cards?" Jennifer asked.

Minkus rolled his eyes. "Yes you still have your credit cards."

"Well then what am I doing here?" Jennifer asked.

Elena stood up and offered her hand. Jennifer defiantly kept her arms crossed. "Mrs. Minkus, I'm Elena Ditillo and I am a counselor. Your husband and son want you to find help."

Minkus stepped forward. "Jennifer we are here because Farkle and I care about you-"

Jennifer looked up and down at the different faces then at the police officers behind her. "This is an intervention! You set up an intervention!" Jennifer glared at her husband and son. She slapped her husband across the face. "You set me up, you son of a bitch! You two betrayed me!"

"Mother, it's not betrayal to want you to get better!" Farkle said.

Jennifer jerkily moved and was about to run out the back door when the police officers plus Cory and Shawn blocked her path. Realizing the back was a lost cause, she was about to head towards the front when Lucas stood in her way.

"Get out of my way, kid," Jennifer commanded. She was about to push on Lucas but he stood still.

"Ma'am," Lucas began his voice taking on that low and threatening tone his friends were familiar with. "Farkle is my best friend. He knows that I would protect him with my life and I would really hate to threaten his mama."

Jennifer smiled seductively to the young man. "Well I must say you are rather handsome and you look so much older than these little girls," she said nodding at Riley and Maya. "What are you, 18?"

"I'm 15," Lucas said.

Jennifer laughed and smirked at her husband before she turned back to Lucas.

"Since when does that matter? Why don't you and I got out to the back and have a moment together?' She then whispered in his ear "-I could make a real man out of you."

Maya looked at Riley. Her best friend glared at the older woman looking like a demented puppy upset that someone took her chew toy "What are you doing?" Maya asked.

"I'm giving her my death glare," Riley said. "You think she's terrified?"

"I don't think so," Maya said. "But my bunny slippers would be."

Farkle was sickened. "My mother is flirting with my best friend. Oh no, Lucas is going to be my stepfather." He wondered if he could stay in therapy for the rest of his life.

"Ma'am I would just as soon have a moment with a rattlesnake," Lucas said sternly, loud enough for the others to hear. "At least you can hear 'em coming."

Maya turned to Riley. "Did he just say rattlesnake?"

Riley's grin was a mile wide. "He just said rattlesnake!" She said proudly. "Yayy!"

"Congratulations Jennifer," Stuart said dryly to his wife. "Your last bit of shame died on September 30, 2015 at-"He looked at his watch "-7:45 pm." He turned to Elena. "Too negative?"

Elena held up her fingers and put them closely together. "Just a smidge."

Jennifer looked at the adults and kids that had gathered then glared at her husband reverting back to the subject at hand. "Stuart, can I talk to you alone without these idiots?" she asked.

"Anything you have to say to Farkle or me you can say in front of-" Minkus turned to Cory, Shawn, Topanga, and Katy "-my friends."

"That's us right?" confused Shawn asked Cory for clarification.

"Yeah, that's us," Cory nodded.

"Then I think you should get rid of your idiot friends," Jennifer turned to Riley, Lucas, and Maya. "Well can we discuss this without the Teen Titans?"

Farkle stood next to his mother. "They are my friends, mother. They are staying!"

"I want to be Starfire, "Riley said to her friends.

"Dibs on Robin," Lucas held up his hand.

"Fine," Jennifer said. "So you decided to stab me in the back! I always knew you had it out for me but to turn Farkle against me too! Now he hates me too that stupid little-"

"-JENNIFER," Stuart shouted. Jennifer turned to her husband in surprise as he raised his voice. When he spoke again his voice was low and threatening. "-I will never let you say one more hateful thing about Farkle, ever again!"

Farkle walked up to his mother, "Mother, if we didn't love you we would let you continue to do this to yourself! But we are doing this because we want to help you."

"By turning against me-"Jennifer growled. She was about to charge forward on her son when Stuart stood in front a barrier protecting his child.

"Jennifer," Stuart warned. "Don't!" Just two words was enough to draw Jennifer back.

Elena stood up trying to be a voice of reason. "Mrs. Minkus, you are aware that charges have been filed against you for child abuse-"

"-He has one too," Jennifer spat in her husband's direction.

"It was appealed," Minkus said nodding at Topanga "Based on no evidence!"

Topanga stepped forward. "Jennifer, you do know that creating a false report to Family Services is a felony. Sentences can result anywhere from 90 days to 5 years imprisonment or fines ranging from $500 to $5,000."

"I had a mark that he caused!" Jennifer said. "How do you explain that?"

"To get you off of Farkle," Minkus reminded her. "I was trying to defend him! Now you are Farkle's mother and my wife. If either of those things ever meant to you, you will listen to what we have to say, and you will SIT. DOWN!"

Jennifer sulked back down like a child who had been punished but she smirked at her husband. "Congratulations, Stuart it seems I've finally located your spine. Where's it been hiding all these years?"

"It was used to prop you up," Stuart declared.

Jennifer sulked sitting between her husband and son while Elena moved to the nearby armchair. She opened the portfolio. "Mrs. Minkus your husband and son have outlined a plan for your recovery." She handed the intake form and information to Minkus.

Minkus showed Jennifer the forms and explained, "There is a private mental health clinic/drug treatment center in Rochester. It's about 30 minutes from your parents' house. It's highly recommended by Medical Journals. You'll love it, it's upscale. All the celebrities get clean there. There are spa treatments, health centers, recreational activities, holistic therapy, the whole thing. I will pay for your treatment and you will stay there for at least a minimum of 60 days-"

"-Minimum is 30 days," Jennifer said pointing out the brochure.

"-I want you to stay for at least 60," Minkus declared. "It will take more than 30 days for you to get treatment. You will continue to attend Alcoholics Anonymous and Anger Management as an outpatient."

"And our money-" Jennifer hissed.

"Your father can keep what he withdrew and I will accept my removal as CEO,"

Minkus said wincing. "It will hurt, I won't lie about that. But it's a small price to pay if you get help. If you want to end our marriage, then that's fine. You will have what I think is a generous alimony. I only ask three things: I get to keep the company name since it is mine. I get to keep the brownstone I have a use for it and another building, Most importantly, I get sole custody of Farkle. If you get clean, you can be granted visitation rights."

Jennifer looked at the forms that outlined her treatment in disgust and slammed them down on the floor. "I won't do it!" She declared. "As far as I'm concerned you two can go to Hell!" She was about to leave.

"That is entirely up to you, Mrs. Minkus," Elena said as she called her back. "But this process isn't finished. Just give us some of your time and if you still refuse we won't stop you, but there will be legal consequences for your actions towards your son."

Jennifer sat back down as Elena continued. "Mrs. Minkus, your husband and son have written you letters detailing their support for you. If you have the time, please listen to them."

Jennifer glanced icily at her family and witnesses particularly at the police officers. "It appears that I have no choice."

Farkle looked to his father and teacher. "Farkle Time?" he asked.

Cory and Minkus nodded. "Farkle Time," they said in unison. Farkle stood up and held out his piece of paper reading out loud:

"Dear Mother,

I want you to know that most importantly, I love you. I love you because you are my mother. I love you because you gave birth to me. I love when you call me, 'Honey.' I love the meals that you cook. I love that you make the house beautiful. I love when we go on trips and you point out all of the interesting sights. I love that because of you I have learned a lot more things than most people my age.

But I don't love the things that you say and do to me. I don't love how it makes me feel inside.

I don't love waking up in the morning or coming home from school and wondering what words that I am going to say or how I am going to walk or dress that would set you off.

I don't love that sometimes I can't picture you in my head without a glass of wine in your hand or an angry look on your face.

I don't love never wanting to go home because I don't know what kind of mood you will be in when I get there.

I don't love lying to my father telling him that I'm popular or panicking because I got a bad grade because you tell me things like, "Your father would never want to speak to you again. Of course I do, the failure that you are."

I don't love lying to my friends or my teachers about how I got the bruise or why my friends can't come over because I'm afraid they will make too much noise and disturb you.

A mother is supposed to love her children unconditionally, I don't love that you set conditions and you keep setting them higher until I can't reach them no matter how quiet, how smart, how obedient I am.

I don't love how your actions affect Father and how he feels like he failed in trying to protect me.

I didn't love that I became so saddened by your words that I swallowed half a bottle of pills and took a razor to my arms because I saw myself through your eyes.

I didn't love being in the hospital and seeing my father and our friends standing over me and wondering where you were.

I want you to get help, because I love you and so your words and actions could be something that I can love again. Maybe then I will know that you love me too.

Your Son,

Farkle."

Jennifer had been silent the whole time her son read the letter. Farkle handed her the letter and she lay it on the table. "That was very good, Farkle," Elena said. "Now it's your turn, Stuart."

Minkus stood up and held out his letter as he read:

"Dear Jennifer,

When you accepted my marriage proposal, I thought that I was the luckiest man alive. I could not believe that a woman as beautiful, intelligent, charming, worldly, and glamorous as you could want to marry someone like me. Everything seemed so bright then. Well that brightness has dimmed now.

It dimmed when I had to drag you home from the Van Houten's gala because you were too drunk and coked up to go home by yourself.

It dimmed when you kept spending all of our money to the point where I had to almost file for bankruptcy and when you first told me that you were pregnant, instead of looking forward to a joyous upcoming event, all I could think about was the additional pressure that a baby would put on our finances and my working hours. Of course those thoughts changed as soon as Farkle was born.

It dimmed during the multitudes of times when I heard strange men's' voices over the phone or when a nooner with our night desk clerk was more important to you than taking care of our three month old son.

It dimmed when at our office Christmas party, I spoke too long to a female executive and you kept yelling, tearing your hair, banging your head, and threatening suicide. The police were called in and the psychiatrists gave your condition a name, 'borderline personality disorder.'

It dimmed during the many times when a casual word or a slightly imperfect gesture would set you off in a blind raging fury. I never could anticipate what it was, so after awhile I gave up trying. It dimmed when no matter how much I tried, I could never be good enough for you, could never stay working long enough or be home fast enough, or be successful enough, or make love as well enough.

Through it all, I kept hiding it. I kept defending you saying that people didn't know the real you like I did. I kept telling them and myself that this will pass. If she had a baby. If she recovered from her post-partum depression. If she saw a regular therapist and took her medicine. If she found outside interests. If our son was in school. If I bought her this or took her there, she would change I was sure of it.

I kept making up excuses after excuses even arguing with people if they found any fault in you. I kept hiding at work making it a success. If my home life was in pieces, then at least my work wouldn't suffer for it. I kept throwing money at the problem thinking that if I gave you everything you wanted, then maybe it would go away.

But now, there has been a deal breaker and his name is Farkle Minkus. I can no longer justify your behavior to him. I can no longer bear to hear him cry because his mother said something cruel to him.

I can no longer watch him suffer day to day worrying about his self-esteem or whether others see him as imperfect as his mother does.

I can no longer watch that bright curious child with the most wonderful smile ever fall farther into despair because his mother perceives him as worthless. I want to see that smile return to his face and I don't think that it would be possible if we continue as we are.

Above all, I can no longer justify your actions as he looks at the scars on his arms that he will bear for the rest of his life just because his mother 'had a bad day' or 'said things that she didn't mean' or whatever excuse that I would have provided for you in the past.

You keep wanting me to say that I love you and I would be nothing without you; I think the truth is I am nothing WITH you and I don't want Farkle to feel the same way. I thought that if we stayed together, that I would be able to protect Farkle and that he could never be hurt by you. Now, I know that us being together is what is hurting him and I cannot continue to let him live like that. I know now that hiding behind my work and my intellect only saves me. It won't save Farkle from further pain or you from destroying yourself.

Despite the evidence to the contrary, I still love you, Jennifer. I don't know if the person that I fell in love with was the real you or I was just blinded even then and it was all a mask but I know that you are capable of being that person again. If you get help you can be that person inside and out, but if you don't agree to get help then I see no future for you, me, or Farkle. That is a future that I cannot live in.

Your husband,

Stuart"

Jennifer accepted the note from Stuart and lay it on top of Farkle's. Elena turned to Jennifer. "Well they said their pieces, Mrs. Minkus," the counselor said. "The rest is up to you."

Jennifer looked downward with a long quiet glance. Something human and sad appeared on her face. She then looked upwards and faced her husband and son. She paused for a long time before she said, "I want a divorce."

Minkus looked straight at his wife. "You know a year ago, that might have destroyed me but now it doesn't bother me. Your father can keep his share."

Jennifer laughed. "Oh he'll take more than his share! I want more than that! By the time we're through with you, you'll be lucky if you find yourself putting together spare computer parts in a broken down science lab! Just like where Daddy found you!" Jennifer nodded in Farkle's direction. "For now, you can keep the brat! I could care less about that little traitor! But don't think any of this is over!"

Minkus nodded. "That's fine, Jennifer. I can live with that."

"We're over, Stuart," Jennifer said taking off her ring. "Don't think about crawling back."

"I won't," Minkus promised his soon-to-be-ex-wife. Jennifer turned around about to head out the door when her husband called her back. "Jennifer, no matter what you feel about me now, I still want you to get help. The offer is still on the table, get treated, get clean, get better. If you won't do it for me and you won't do it for Farkle, then do it for yourself. I would rather face a healthy you in court than read an obit of you as a beautiful young corpse."

Mechanically, Jennifer reached for the folder. She picked up the ring and aimed it at her husband. Then slowly she released her grip and placed it in Minkus' hand. "Good-bye, Stuart," she said.

"Good-bye Jennifer," Minkus said wondering if this was the last time that he would see his wife again without the presence of an attorney.

"Mother wait," Farkle said. He ran towards his mother and hugged her around the waist. "Good-bye, Mother." Jennifer awkwardly put one hand on his head and then pulled her son away. She looked straight at Farkle then slapped him across the face! She took one more glare at her husband, son, and their friends then left the bakery in an angry huff.

Minkus watched the door for a few seconds wondering if Jennifer would return and also hoping that she wouldn't. "You should have let me hit her," Katy observed dryly to her friends and boyfriend.

"I would like to have seen that," Shawn agreed.

"So we failed then," Stuart asked Elena.

"No you didn't fail," Elena said. "Interventions don't always end with the victim agreeing to seek help. You accomplished what you set out to do. You let your w-sorry ex-wife know how you felt. She knows that you won't support her habits any longer. She did take the folder including your letters with her. You got through to her. It may take a little while a few days, a month even for her to admit it, but you got through to her."

Minkus was about to say more when a noise from his son startled him. Farkle gulped and started coughing. Maya, Riley, and Lucas circled around him. "Farkle are you alright?" Riley asked as she held her friend by one shoulder. Maya held the other shoulder and Lucas upheld him by the back. Farkle knelt down and began sobbing like a small child.

Minkus ran to his son's side as his friends parted to give them room. He held onto his son from behind as Farkle collapsed in a fit of tears. "She doesn't want me," Farkle said. "She doesn't love me! Why doesn't she want me?"

Minkus held his son tightly letting him cry on his shoulder. "It's alright, son," he said soothingly. "Daddy's here. Daddy's here and he does want you." He felt kind of odd

about speaking in such a juvenile manner to a 13-year-old genius when he hadn't spoken like that to Farkle since he was very young. But it seemed that Farkle didn't mind. Truth be told, neither did Stuart. He continued to hold onto Farkle until he could be sure that the crying subsided.

"Are you two okay?" Cory asked. Minkus nodded.

"I'd better take him home," Minkus replied. He then led his son off the floor and held him by the shoulders. He turned to Cory, Topanga, Katy, Shawn, Elena, Riley, Lucas, and Maya. "Thank you, all of you." He said as he led his son out the door.

A few days later, Farkle lay in his bed with his friends gathered around him. Maya and Riley sat on opposite sides and Lucas sat at the foot of his bed. Farkle was covered wearing a bathrobe and blue and white pajamas. The edges of the bandages were still visible underneath the sleeves. The raw emotions of the past few days had taken their toll and now he felt groggy and drained, but the boy continued to talk to his friends. "Mother moved the last of her stuff out a couple of days ago," he said. "Her clothes alone took four hours. The shoes and jewelry took two."

"I'm sorry, Farkle," Riley said.

Farkle nodded. "It's okay. At least she agreed to get help. They are still getting divorced but she is going to get the treatment that she needs. I don't know what changed her mind. Maybe Elena was right, we got through to her after all."

Riley nodded. "That's good. My mom said that while she's there, she can't really take you to court, so you don't have to worry about it for at least two months. Plus Mom said she still has to face legal issues for making that report against your dad and for abusing you."

"I suppose it's a breakthrough in a way," Farkle said. "When she took off the ring she didn't throw it at my father. She handed it to him. I wish her the best, I really do," Farkle said. "I hope she'll be alright."

"You're a better person than I am, Farkle," Maya said. "I hope my dad rots!"

Farkle sighed. "Still-"

"-What's the matter man," Lucas asked.

Farkle shrugged. "Still when she came back for her stuff, she didn't talk to me. She wouldn't even look at me. She only talked to Father very stiff and formal like they never even knew each other. When I hugged her at the bakery, it was like hugging a robot. She completely froze me out." He looked down at his Solar System bed sheets. "I'm getting used to the fact that she doesn't love me anymore, but now I'm beginning to think that she never loved me at all." His eyes were moist with tears.

Maya put her hand on Farkle's. "That's not true, Farkle. It could be that she feels so ashamed of what she did and how she treated you and your dad and that's her way of dealing with it."

Farkle shrugged bitterly. "How do you know?"

Maya smiled at her friend. "Because how could she not love you?" Farkle smiled back at one of Maya's rare hopeful words.

"How have you been doing, Farkle?" Lucas asked.

Farkle held up his arms. "In a few days, I can take these off," he said indicating the bandages. "I don't always feel well internally. I get tired and sick really easily and get headaches. Father still has me on suicide watch. He locked up all sharp objects and pills. He gives me the antidepressant and antianxiety that they prescribed at the hospital. I guess he's still worried that I might try it again. I was starting to see a therapist in the hospital and he's pretty nice, so I'm going to continue seeing him. Actually he's one of my former nannies. Father said that he wants to see a therapist too and we're still going to the abuse support group-" He nodded at Maya.

"Like I said," Maya grinned. "It's lame but it works."

Farkle smiled thinly. "Father even said if all goes well in a few weeks, I can start going back to school which by the way-" He pointed at the schoolbooks, papers, and other assignments "-I finished my homework, could you?" Riley nodded and picked up her friend's schoolwork knowing that she was going to drop them off at JQA.

"Why bother," Maya teased. "It will be all A's!"

Farkle shrugged. "My father wants me to stay out of school until he's convinced that I've fully recovered. I think he's worried about the press bothering me too." Because Stuart and Jennifer Minkus were public figures, their divorce and marital problems had hit the gossip tabloids and news. Understandably, Stuart wanted to keep his still emotionally fragile son as far from the media as possible.

Riley put down the schoolwork on a nearby table and walked towards her bedridden friend. "So Farkle you are really okay?"

Farkle nodded. "Well I think so."

Riley nodded and walked closer. "Good because there is something I've been wanting to tell you for some time." She reached over and punched Farkle on the shoulder. "We almost lost you! Don't ever do that again!" She turned away from her friend and started crying looking through the window.

"Ouch you didn't have to tell me that hard," Farkle joked.

Lucas stood up and faced his friend sternly. "It isn't funny! I never want to see Riley look the way she did in that hospital again all helpless and crying her eyes out! I never want to be like that again that I almost lost my best friend and I couldn't do anything about it! Don't you know how much you mean to us?" Lucas walked over to Riley and held her by the shoulders and then hugged her. "Whatever it was that your mother said or did, it shouldn't have been so big that you couldn't talk to us about it," Lucas said concerned facing his friend as he held Riley in his arms.

Farkle hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry," he said. "I just felt so powerless and alone."

"Farkle," Maya said staying on the bed by her friend's side. "We love the real you and we love the mask because we know there is no mask. It **is **the real you."

Farkle looked silently from Maya seated next to him on the bed and Lucas and Riley facing him by the window. "I have such great friends," Farkle said moved with tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry that for five minutes I forgot that."

Riley dried her eyes and approached her friend. "Those five minutes would have lasted forever, Farkle and then what would we have done?" she said. "The next time that something like this comes up make sure that you talk to us. That's what we're here for."

"I will," Farkle promised. He missed the mischievous grins exchanged between his three friends.

"And if you don't," Maya said moving behind him as Lucas and Riley approached his bed. "We have ways of making you talk."

"How?" Farkle asked.

"Like this," Lucas said then he shouted. "Dog Pile!" Riley, Lucas, and Maya jumped on their friend and playfully wrestled with him as he laughed and said. "No, no! Be nice to the invalid!" The four of them laughed and continued to wrestle with each other, a playful mob.

Riley was the first to stand. "Okay everyone, it's over," she said. "Let's be cool. Be calm. We are adults now." Lucas and Maya stepped away from their friend. The four friends adjusted their hair, smoothed out their clothes, and caught their breaths trying to maintain composure. "Let's just watch some TV." Riley suggested. She flipped on the remote.

Their faces dropped as the screen flipped on to TMZ and a picture of Farkle's parents flashed on the screen. The announcer to the gossip show said, "Mutual accusations of infidelity, abuse, and reckless spending! Who gets their multi-million dollar empire and who gets custody of their 13-year-old son?"

Riley pushed the off button on the remote as the screen went black. "Forget the TV," she said. "Let's go back to this!" She then leaped on the bed and joined her friends in another dog pile.

Minkus knocked on the door hearing the noise and laughter. "Farkle, are you alright in there?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm fine, Dad," Farkle laughed.

Stuart smiled delighted to hear his son laugh again. "Don't be too rough with him," he warned Farkle's friends.

"How rough can we be?" Maya called back.

"That'll do Maya," Minkus said with a slight laugh. He was about to turn back to his friends when he smiled. "Dad?" he said with a grin. "I could get used to that." He may even like it.

Minkus headed back to the dining room where Cory, Topanga, Shawn, and Katy were seated drinking cappuccinos and talking. Cory was thumbing through the latest issue of OK magazine. "I am so sick of this celebrity gossip making front page news," he said. "Like we care that some famous couple who is obsessed with getting their names in the paper is getting separated." He looked at Topanga, Katy, and Shawn who pointed behind Cory with "he's-right-there" looks on their faces.

Cory looked up to see Minkus smirking at him. "I was talking about Kris and Caitelyn

Jenner," Cory said embarrassed and clearly lying. "You know she's a woman now. Your separation on the other hand is endlessly fascinating." He pointed at the article reading the headline under a photo of Stuart and Jennifer broken in two. " 'Minkus Melee.' It's catchy. Very alliterative."

"Very," Minkus agreed. "It's alright, Cory. I'm sick of hearing about it too." He picked up a couple of the magazines and threw them in the trash. "If only I could do that to every copy in New York."

"How's Farkle been taking all this news, Stuart?" Katy asked.

"Pretty well considering that I've been trying to keep him out of it as much as possible," Minkus answered. "If the paparazzi bothers him though the next headline will read 'CEO/Concerned Father Beats Photographer With His Own Camera.' "

"Alright, Minkus," Shawn said cheering on his former nemesis. "You got yourself a dark side after all! Come at me!" He held up his fist and Minkus willingly returned the fist bump.

"Honestly, I would just as soon wish that there wasn't any publicity on this at all," Minkus said. "But leave it to Jennifer's family to take a preemptive strike while she's still in rehab to malign me as -" he read a quote in one article "-an abusive fortune hunter who is an unfit father.'" He crumbled up the article and pitched it. " As if I hadn't heard enough of this before they removed me as CEO. I have countered their accusations with some official statements. Hopefully, that will keep for now."

"Well Stuart you have the truth on your side," Katy remarked. "And you have us."

Minkus smiled. "Thank you, Katy, but I don't know if that will matter in the court of public opinion." He lay his hands on the table top.

"It may be a challenge in a court of law," Topanga replied. "But I'll fight for you." She lay her hands on top of Minkus'.

"Me too," Katy agreed placing her hands on Topanga's.

"I got your back," Shawn promised as he placed his hands on Katy's.

"Let them try to take you on," Cory said. "They'll come face to face with the toughest meanest history teacher in all of middle school history!" He put his hands on top of Shawn's.

Minkus smiled feeling his eyes fill. "Thank you, I don't deserve your friendship."

"Sure you do," Cory said as the five friends' hands separated.

"How's business, been?" Topanga asked.

" Minkus Inter-oh sorry, Minkus Technologies now is doing better," Minkus replied. "Thanks to a certain contract with a Superintendent Jonathan Turner referred by a certain history teacher that we all know-"He motioned to Cory who pointed at himself and mouthed, 'moi,' to the others. "I can't thank you enough for that, Cory and to Katy for eavesdropping and telling you," Minkus nodded at Katy who had listened in when Minkus and his colleagues discussed forming their own business independent from the Bassetts. "Thanks to the foundation grant money that Mr. Turner offered us, I can afford to hire more technicians. Of course we are going to need it with the large order that he wants us to do."

"Well our district needed new computers, tablets, and other electronics, for some time and you needed new employees and some extra money," Cory said. "It seemed like a no-brainer to me. Besides Mr. Turner said, -'He mimicked his former English teacher's tough guy accent. "'-Matthews, these kids need to learn how to use these things to do more than download episodes of SpongeBob!'" The others laughed at his impression.

"So are you moved into the new office?" Topanga asked.

"Yes completely now," Minkus said. "I bought the building on the corner over there to use for office space. Having the office so close, keeps me near Farkle in case there's anything he needs during his-recovery." He had a longing expression on his face as though he didn't want to continue.

"You'd better watch for that, Stuart," Topanga said realistically. "If a custody battle does arise, the courts may take into consideration your financial status in deciding who gets to keep Farkle. The fact that you willingly surrendered some of the stock and even your former title just so you can be granted sole custody of Farkle will show you as a dedicated single parent. But they may also take into consideration whether you can financially take care of Farkle in the life that he is accustomed to."

"But Topanga," Cory objected. "That only happens if he goes from this-" He pointed above his head and made a 'ding' sound"-down to this-" He then pointed to the floor and made a crashing sound. "Minkus just went from this-"He pointed upwards and made the "ding" sound again. "-To this-"He pointed halfway between the floor and ceiling and said, "Hello."

"Cory as always your legal terminology is astounding," Topanga said sarcastically to her husband.

"And she chose you," Minkus teased him, but not as vindictive as before. He then held out the ring. "That still leaves only this," He looked at his male friends. "Either of you have $78,000 on you?"

Cory and Shawn searched their pockets and jokingly talked at once. "Oh yeah, right here!" "Sure absolutely let me get it!" Shawn snapped his fingers. "Darn, I must have left it in my other pants."

"Preview of coming attractions," Minkus teased Katy who laughed back.

"I think I have 78,000 buttons stashed somewhere," Cory said.

"Never mind," Minkus said. He then held the ring for a few seconds and looked at it. "I'll hold onto it. Maybe Farkle will have a use for it…someday."

"Can I have it?" Maya's voice called from Farkle's bedroom.

"NO!" the adults all yelled at once, Katy's voice the loudest.

Minkus turned to Katy. "So what's it like to be divorced?"

"Well it's tough," Katy agreed. "No matter how bad the marriage was, there will be times when you are lying in your bed and wondering why they left. You'll feel alone a few times maybe feel like crying. You'll go on many dates with losers-"

"-Hey," Shawn objected.

"-Present company excluded of course," Katy said holding her boyfriend's hand. "But it will pass. You'll be stronger for it. Best part is when you have a great kid to share it with." Minkus nodded.

"Oh, I'm not ready to date yet," Minkus said with a wave of his hand.

"Come on, Minkus," Shawn said. "You're not rich as before but you're pretty well off. You've got a kid, so you're the sensitive male. You're smart, you're a catch. Oh heck, I'd go out with you."

"Oh sorry Shawn," Minkus mocked. "I'm not interested."

Shawn snorted. "Well you just kissed that dream good-bye." He said pretending to be hurt.

"Besides I could never part you from your true love," Minkus nodded at Cory. Cory and Shawn laughed sarcastically.

Katy turned to Topanga. "Years?" She asked referring to the trio's rivalry.

"Years and years," Topanga said

Farkle and his friends relaxed, watched a Blu-Ray of Despicable Me 2, and sang and clapped along with Pharrell Williams' "Happy." "They are so cute," Riley said referring to the little yellow guys. "I want a Minion."

"I'm working on it," Farkle said with a yawn. "They will help set up the Farkle Nation."

Riley, Maya, and Lucas were pleased that Farkle was once again talking about his weird projects and plans for world domination. It showed that their friend was on the road to recovery.

A knock at the door interrupted them. Minkus poked his head through Farkle's door. "How are you doing son?" he asked. "You haven't been sick have you?"

Farkle shook his head. "No, I just feel tired that's all."

"We probably overdid it, sir," Lucas suggested.

"Probably," Minkus said. "Everyone else is about to leave. Lucas, Shawn and Katy said that they will take you home."

Riley, Maya, and Lucas rose off the bed. Lucas enveloped his best friend in a big bear hug. "You'll be in my prayers," he said.

"Thanks and you'll be in my….unspoken but deeply felt concerned thoughts

towards your well being," Farkle agreed. Lucas chuckled slightly.

Riley leaned forward and gave her friend a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Remember what we said, talk to us next time."

"I hope there won't be a next time," Farkle said determined. "But if there is, I will."

When Maya kissed Farkle, her kiss was longer than Riley's. "It is almost worth going through everything just for you to do that," Farkle teased.

"Well don't do it again otherwise you won't be around for me to," Maya vowed. Farkle nodded and waved good-bye as his friends left the bedroom.

Minkus saw his and Farkle's friends off. He hugged Katy and waved good-bye to Maya and Lucas. "So I'll see you at group this week?" she asked.

"Of course you will," Minkus agreed.

"It will be hard, Stuart," Katy said. "But you will get through it and Maya and I'll help guide you two."

"We could use some good navigators," Minkus said to his female friend.

Katy stepped aside as Shawn handed Minkus a piece of paper. "What is this?" he asked.

"My bill," Shawn said "For taking part in the intervention."

Minkus read the contents of the bill and laughed. "Okay I think I can afford that." He stepped back and quoted the words on the paper that Shawn wrote. " 'I was wrong and you were right. I should never have married Jennifer Bassett. She was manipulative, controlling, messed me up and broke my heart. I defer to your wisdom, Shawn Hunter. You are a-'" He almost couldn't get the words out "'-G-g-genius'. There is that enough, Future Plumber?"

Shawn laughed. "Consider it paid in full, Suck up."

"Fix a sink," Minkus answered fondly.

"Teacher's pet," Shawn called back teasing.

"Recidivist," Minkus added.

"Geek Master," Shawn responded. The two former enemies smiled, clasped arms, and hugged. Shawn then followed Katy, Maya, and Lucas out the door.

Topanga then stepped forward. "Stuart you know that I never felt about you-"

Minkus held up his hand. "Don't say anything more, Topanga," he said. "Just be my friend."

Topanga nodded. "I can do that," The two hugged.

Stuart then pulled away. "And if you know a good divorce attorney, I could really use one."

Topanga held up one finger. "I have the perfect name, Rosemary Welles. She is really good and smart, you'll like her. I'll tell her to call you as soon as possible." She said.

Stuart Minkus nodded. He knew by now that whatever Topanga suggested would be good.

Cory then stepped forward and faced his former rival now friend. "Minkus-or do you prefer Stuart-?"

"I'm used to Minkus from you and Shawn," Minkus answered his friend. "It doesn't matter."

"Alright, Minkus, are you okay?" Cory asked.

Minkus shook his head. "No," he answered truthfully. "But I'm going to be. Thank you, Cory for all that you have done for us. I don't think I would have been able to do this on my own if you hadn't encouraged me to take that first step. You know, Cory about what you said about us moving on from when we were kids. I think we have."

Cory nodded. "I know we have." He smiled. "You know, Minkus, you got to be pretty cool."

Minkus smiled at the backhanded compliment. "And you got to be pretty smart." He said as he and Cory hugged each other good-bye. Minkus watched Cory, Topanga, and Riley leave.

The door closed as Minkus stood in the living room in silence. He held the ring in deep thought. Farkle then approached his father and put his arm around him. Minkus turned to his son, "I didn't hear you come in," Minkus said with a smile as he put the ring inside a desk drawer.

"I'm sorry you're going to lose a lot of your money, Dad," Farkle said as his father returned his hug.

Minkus lowered his head and kissed his son on the top of his hair. "Don't be. I'm not. As far as I'm concerned, I am getting the better half of the deal." Farkle smiled at the compliment. "There that's it," Minkus said to his son glad to see the smile return as he smiled as well. Neither father or son had to say what they felt for each other. They already knew.

The End


End file.
